City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Houston, TX
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 Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Houston, TX ($109,246 → $122,749), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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 | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,937 in Houston | $102,107 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
75 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Houston, TX | Real change, Colorado Springs → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $71,181 | +14.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $86,123 | +14.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $103,225 | +14.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $122,749 | +14.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $145,052 | +14.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $64,500 | $65,859 (+7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $129,440 | $132,167 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $85,090 | $86,883 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $99,830 | $101,933 (+6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.