City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.6% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,600 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,670 in NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Omaha, NE ($109,246 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,266 in Omaha | $109,570 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$21/yr.
99 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$21/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Omaha, NE | Real change, Colorado Springs → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,339 | +7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $75,425 | +7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $90,402 | +7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $107,501 | +7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $127,033 | +7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $62,670 | $68,668 (+12.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $125,220 | $137,204 (+2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $77,030 | $84,402 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $84,600 | $92,696 (−3.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.