City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 17.1% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $117,100 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Brownsville, TX to Colorado Springs, CO ($106,437 → $109,246), while prices change by +17.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Brownsville, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,135 in Colorado Springs | $85,371 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
38 Weak offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.1%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Brownsville → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,351 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,650 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,870 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,246 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,096 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $61,140 | $52,196 (−17.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $134,280 | $114,637 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $85,000 | $72,566 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $96,140 | $82,076 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.