City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.5% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $102,500 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 $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Lancaster, PA ($109,246 → $108,592), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (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 | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,567 in Lancaster | $102,493 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,220/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 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
77 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,972 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $76,190 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $91,320 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,592 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $128,323 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $78,360 | $80,314 (+31.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $104,740 | $107,352 (−20.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,110 | $78,008 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $89,620 | $91,855 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.