City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 11.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $111,800 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in New York, NY than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to New York, NY ($109,246 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,773 in New York | $89,467 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | New York, NY | Real change, Colorado Springs → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $72,737 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $88,005 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $105,481 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $125,431 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $148,222 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | New York, NY | New York pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $96,900 | $86,694 (+41.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $166,830 | $149,258 (+11.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $105,650 | $94,522 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $119,720 | $107,110 (+11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.