City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 3.8% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,800 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.4% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Reading, PA ($109,246 → $117,284), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,379 in Reading | $103,757 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
80 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Reading, PA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $68,013 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $82,289 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $98,630 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $117,284 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $138,595 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $79,860 | $82,861 (+35.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $120,920 | $125,464 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $75,550 | $78,389 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $98,470 | $102,170 (+6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.