City comparison
Chattanooga, TN 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 10.1% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $110,100 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 $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Colorado Springs, CO ($106,437 → $109,246), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (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
| Chattanooga, TN | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,106 in Colorado Springs | $90,822 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
40 Weak offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Chattanooga → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,351 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,650 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,870 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,246 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,096 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $61,140 | $55,529 (−7.2%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $134,280 | $121,956 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $85,000 | $77,199 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $96,140 | $87,316 (+9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.