City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Portland, ME are 1.1% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $101,100 in Portland, ME to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,963 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.3% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Portland, ME ($109,246 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.1% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (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 | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,143 in Portland | $98,870 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,963/yr.
62 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,963/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Portland, ME | Real change, Colorado Springs → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $69,905 | +9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $84,579 | +9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $101,375 | +9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $120,548 | +9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $142,452 | +9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $76,770 | $75,902 (+24.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $128,710 | $127,256 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,790 | $78,888 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $88,470 | $87,470 (−9.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.