City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 1.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $101,800 in Philadelphia, PA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO and $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.4% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Philadelphia, PA ($109,246 → $117,284), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,834 in Philadelphia | $98,199 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Philadelphia, PA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
63 Fair offer
Philadelphia, PA → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $68,013 | +5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $82,289 | +5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $98,630 | +5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $117,284 | +5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $138,595 | +5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $78,570 | $77,155 (+26.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $133,040 | $130,644 (−2.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $85,990 | $84,441 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $101,180 | $99,358 (+3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.