City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Colorado Springs, CO (100.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,600 in Colorado Springs, CO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Atlanta, GA to Colorado Springs, CO ($112,556 → $109,246), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,649 in Colorado Springs | $99,356 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
67 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$876/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Atlanta → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $63,351 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $76,650 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $91,870 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $109,246 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $129,096 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $61,140 | $60,746 (−20.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $134,280 | $133,415 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $85,000 | $84,452 (−1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $96,140 | $95,520 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.