$100k salary, packing up from Houston
changea dispatch from
fort collins
CO
40.59°N
105.08°W
Fort Collins is the home of New Belgium Brewing (Fat Tire's origin) and a thriving craft beer scene with more breweries than Boulder. Old Town's brick streets and historic storefronts are charming enough that they're said to have influenced Disney's Main Street USA designers. CSU keeps the energy young. The foothills rise right outside town, and Rocky Mountain National Park is an hour away. Quieter than Boulder, less expensive.
the verdict
the monthly cost of moving past Houston
Fort Collins costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
a quick ledger.
$1,971/mo
22% more expensive than Houston(vs $1,610/mo)
4.4%
$367/mo more in state tax than Houston
vs 0% in Houston
$5,996/mo
$727 less than Houston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$572k
84% more expensive than Houston
vs $311k in Houston
371k
vs 7.5M in Houston
field notes, weather & such.
177
pleasant days a year, in fort collins.
Houston only manages 171 of those. The trade is winter: 44 days below 20°, vs 1 in Houston.
Noticeably quieter than Houston. About 100% fewer events on a typical month.
69/100
25% higher than Houston
vs 55/100 in Houston
Closest outdoor draw: Rocky Mountain National Park, 31.3 mi.
86/100
12% higher than Houston
vs 77/100 in Houston
169
4% fewer than Houston
vs 176 nonstops in Houston
same energy as fort collins, different zip code:
compare fort collins with:
