City comparison
Greeley, CO vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Greeley, CO are 2.4% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,400 in Greeley, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,238 in Greeley, CO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 20% in Greeley, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,244 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Greeley, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.3% moving from Greeley, CO to Richmond, VA ($118,675 → $111,183), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Greeley, CO: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Greeley, CO | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,686 in Richmond | $102,369 in Greeley |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,238/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,070 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Greeley, CO MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Greeley, CO and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Greeley | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.6 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Greeley, CO → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,244/yr.
76 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Greeley, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,244/yr.
62 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Greeley, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Greeley, CO to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Greeley, CO | Richmond, VA | Real change, Greeley → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $64,475 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $78,009 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $93,499 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $111,183 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $131,385 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Greeley, CO | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Greeley dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $120,780 | $126,230 | $129,220 (+7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,480 | $132,120 | $135,250 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,240 | $84,220 | $86,215 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,300 | $93,580 | $95,797 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.