City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 3.1% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $103,100 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 $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Pensacola, FL ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,031 in Pensacola | $103,060 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
78 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $50,360 | $51,901 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $108,430 | $111,748 (−16.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,410 | $78,748 (−7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $77,890 | $80,273 (−16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.