City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 10.4% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $110,400 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.5% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Seattle, WA ($109,246 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,353 in Seattle | $90,618 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
28 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Seattle, WA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $69,373 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $83,935 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $100,602 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $119,630 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $141,367 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $102,920 | $93,265 (+52.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $167,280 | $151,587 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $99,370 | $90,048 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $128,260 | $116,227 (+20.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.