City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 4.9% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $104,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.7% moving from Bremerton, WA to Colorado Springs, CO ($119,630 → $109,246), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.2% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Bremerton, WA | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,360 in Colorado Springs | $104,866 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
84 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Bremerton → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $63,351 | −4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $76,650 | −4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $91,870 | −4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $109,246 | −4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $129,096 | −4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $61,140 | $64,115 (−37.5%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $134,280 | $140,814 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $85,000 | $89,136 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $96,140 | $100,818 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.