City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ann Arbor, MI (100.9) and Colorado Springs, CO (100.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI goes as far as $99,800 in Colorado Springs, CO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,387 in Ann Arbor, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 22% in Ann Arbor, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $308 a year higher in Ann Arbor, MI than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.9% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Colorado Springs, CO ($117,402 → $109,246), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- 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
| Ann Arbor, MI | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,829 in Colorado Springs | $100,172 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$308/yr.
69 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$308/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Ann Arbor → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $63,351 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $76,650 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $91,870 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $109,246 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $129,096 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $61,140 | $61,245 (−4.4%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $134,280 | $134,511 (+6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $85,000 | $85,146 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $96,140 | $96,305 (−6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.