City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.4% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $102,400 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Dallas, TX ($109,246 → $115,711), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,366 in Dallas | $97,688 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
62 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dallas, TX | Real change, Colorado Springs → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $67,100 | +3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $81,186 | +3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $97,307 | +3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $115,711 | +3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $136,736 | +3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $65,070 | $63,566 (+4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $133,290 | $130,209 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $82,620 | $80,710 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $101,420 | $99,076 (+3.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.