City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Rochester, NY
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 Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Rochester, NY ($109,246 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,354 in Rochester | $103,784 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
81 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rochester, NY | Real change, Colorado Springs → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,155 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $75,202 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $90,135 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $107,182 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $126,657 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $62,840 | $65,218 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $122,770 | $127,416 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $80,890 | $83,951 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $86,570 | $89,846 (−6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.