City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.1% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $102,100 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Harrisburg, PA ($109,246 → $108,592), while prices change by −2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,957 in Harrisburg | $102,085 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
75 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,972 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $76,190 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $91,320 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,592 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $128,323 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $77,160 | $78,769 (+28.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $109,470 | $111,753 (−16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,510 | $78,105 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $96,770 | $98,788 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.