City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 5.5% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,500 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,724 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Columbus, OH ($109,246 → $111,065), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,799 in Columbus | $105,487 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,724/yr.
86 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,724/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Columbus, OH | Real change, Colorado Springs → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,406 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,926 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,400 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,065 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,245 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $78,150 | $82,438 (+34.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $122,340 | $129,052 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $81,700 | $86,183 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $83,900 | $88,503 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.