City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 4.7% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $104,700 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Colorado Springs, CO ($120,348 → $109,246), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,529 in Colorado Springs | $104,680 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
83 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Anchorage → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $63,351 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $76,650 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $91,870 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $109,246 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $129,096 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $61,140 | $64,001 (−19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $134,280 | $140,564 (+35.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $85,000 | $88,978 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $96,140 | $100,639 (−12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.