City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.9% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,900 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.6% moving from Birmingham, AL to Colorado Springs, CO ($107,510 → $109,246), while prices change by +9.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,889 in Colorado Springs | $91,001 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
41 Weak offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Birmingham → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $63,351 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $76,650 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $91,870 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $109,246 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $129,096 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $61,140 | $55,638 (−11.2%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $134,280 | $122,196 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $85,000 | $77,351 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $96,140 | $87,488 (+11.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.