City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 3.9% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $103,900 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,919 in WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Milwaukee, WI ($109,246 → $111,310), while prices change by −3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,256 in Milwaukee | $103,889 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$228/yr.
81 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$228/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Colorado Springs → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,548 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $78,098 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,606 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,310 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,535 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $61,480 | $63,871 (+4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $123,730 | $128,542 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $80,290 | $83,413 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $97,360 | $101,146 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.