City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 3.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $103,800 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $695 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Baltimore, MD to Colorado Springs, CO ($121,785 → $109,246), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.9% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,382 in Colorado Springs | $103,753 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$695/yr.
80 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$695/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Baltimore → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $63,351 | −6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $76,650 | −6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $91,870 | −6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $109,246 | −6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $129,096 | −6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $61,140 | $63,435 (−17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $134,280 | $139,320 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $85,000 | $88,190 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $96,140 | $99,749 (+0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.