City comparison
Cincinnati, OH 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 5.6% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $105,600 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,724 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Colorado Springs, CO ($110,865 → $109,246), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,596 in Colorado Springs | $94,700 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,724/yr.
52 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,724/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Cincinnati → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $63,351 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $76,650 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $91,870 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $109,246 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $129,096 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $61,140 | $57,900 (−10.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $134,280 | $127,164 (+4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $85,000 | $80,495 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $96,140 | $91,045 (+8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.