City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 3.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $103,800 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,692 a year in CO and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to New Haven, CT ($109,246 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,825 in New Haven | $96,316 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$233/yr.
57 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$233/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | New Haven, CT | Real change, Colorado Springs → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $72,737 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $88,005 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $105,481 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $125,431 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $148,222 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $79,820 | $76,879 (+25.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $133,040 | $128,139 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $94,960 | $91,462 (+7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $104,490 | $100,641 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.