City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 5.9% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,900 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to St. Louis, MO ($109,246 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,420 in St. Louis | $105,909 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$71/yr.
87 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$71/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Colorado Springs → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $63,288 | +5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $76,573 | +5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $91,779 | +5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $109,137 | +5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $128,967 | +5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $60,650 | $64,234 (+5.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $129,030 | $136,655 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $78,880 | $83,541 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $83,180 | $88,095 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.