City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,800 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Des Moines, IA ($109,246 → $107,301), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,057 in Des Moines | $109,821 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,109/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
99 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,223 | +7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $75,284 | +7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $90,234 | +7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $107,301 | +7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $126,797 | +7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $61,650 | $67,705 (+10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $126,460 | $138,880 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,290 | $87,077 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $78,630 | $86,352 (−10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.