City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 8.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $108,200 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,043 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Huntsville, AL ($109,246 → $110,847), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,419 in Huntsville | $108,203 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,043/yr.
94 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,043/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,279 | +9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,772 | +9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,216 | +9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $110,847 | +9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $130,987 | +9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $62,250 | $67,357 (+10.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $128,080 | $138,587 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,220 | $85,719 (+0.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $77,090 | $83,414 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.