City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Dayton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 8.6% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,600 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,724 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Dayton, OH ($109,246 → $110,401), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Dayton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,043 in Dayton | $108,645 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,009/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,980 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Dayton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 72.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,724/yr.
96 Strong offer
Dayton, OH → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,724/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Dayton, OH is in Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Dayton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dayton, OH | Real change, Colorado Springs → Dayton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,021 | +9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,460 | +9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $92,841 | +9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $110,401 | +9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $130,461 | +9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dayton, OH | Dayton pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $80,360 | $87,307 (+42.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $106,910 | $116,152 (−13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,030 | $85,862 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $82,510 | $89,643 (−6.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.