City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 13.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,800 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,481 in NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Hickory, NC ($109,246 → $108,810), while prices change by −12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,865 in Hickory | $113,811 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $908/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$210/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$210/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Hickory, NC | Real change, Colorado Springs → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $63,098 | +13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $76,343 | +13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $91,503 | +13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,810 | +13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $128,581 | +13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $49,540 | $56,382 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $122,540 | $139,464 (+3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $77,490 | $88,192 (+3.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $80,060 | $91,117 (−5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.