City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Louisville, KY
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 Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $309 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Louisville, KY ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Louisville, KY: 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 | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,421 in Louisville | $108,201 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$309/yr.
94 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$309/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Louisville, KY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Louisville, KY | Real change, Colorado Springs → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $61,610 | $66,663 (+9.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $110,270 | $119,313 (−11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,320 | $82,579 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $84,850 | $91,809 (−4.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.