City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.6% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $102,600 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,596 a month in Raleigh, NC versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Raleigh, NC and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- 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 +1.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Raleigh, NC ($109,246 → $111,147), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,468 in Raleigh | $102,598 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,596/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% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$210/yr.
76 Strong offer
Raleigh, NC → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$210/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Raleigh, NC | Real change, Colorado Springs → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,453 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,983 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,468 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,147 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,342 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $60,170 | $61,733 (+1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $132,770 | $136,219 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $81,950 | $84,079 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $84,830 | $87,034 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.