City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Colorado Springs, CO (100.7) and Reno, NV (101.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO goes as far as $100,300 in Reno, NV.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO and $1,489 in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Reno, NV ($109,246 → $106,855), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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 | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,305 in Reno | $99,696 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Reno, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
68 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Reno, NV | Real change, Colorado Springs → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,965 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,972 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,859 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,855 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $126,271 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $62,430 | $62,240 (+1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $125,710 | $125,328 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $82,370 | $82,120 (−3.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $107,520 | $107,193 (+11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.