City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Peoria, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 10.4% higher than in Peoria, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Peoria, IL would need about $110,400 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 $818 in Peoria, IL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 13% in Peoria, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,114 a year higher in Peoria, IL than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Peoria, IL ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Peoria, IL: price level 91.2 (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 | Peoria, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 91.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,591 in Peoria | $110,387 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,590 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Peoria, IL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Peoria, IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Peoria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 63.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 90.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 91.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Peoria, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,114/yr.
100 Strong offer
Peoria, IL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,114/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Peoria, IL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Peoria, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Peoria, IL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Peoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Peoria, IL | Peoria pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $57,440 | $63,406 (+3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $130,590 | $144,154 (+7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,540 | $87,802 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $81,010 | $89,424 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.