City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 6.9% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,900 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $695 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.5% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Hagerstown, MD ($109,246 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.2% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,510 in Hagerstown | $106,941 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$695/yr.
90 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$695/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Colorado Springs → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $70,623 | +19.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $85,447 | +19.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $102,415 | +19.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $121,785 | +19.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $143,913 | +19.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $63,190 | $67,576 (+10.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $122,830 | $131,355 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $75,250 | $80,473 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $92,770 | $99,209 (+3.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.