City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Winston, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 9.4% higher than in Winston, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Winston, NC would need about $109,400 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 $1,082 in Winston, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 17% in Winston, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,481 in NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Winston, NC ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Winston, NC: price level 92.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Winston, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,397 in Winston | $109,413 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,082/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $46,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Winston-Salem, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Winston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 71.4 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 88.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Winston, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$210/yr.
98 Strong offer
Winston, NC → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$210/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Winston, NC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Winston, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Winston, NC | Real change, Colorado Springs → Winston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Winston, NC | Winston pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $56,510 | $61,829 (+1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $124,130 | $135,814 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $78,950 | $86,382 (+1.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $86,120 | $94,226 (−2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.