City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 5.9% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $105,900 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.0% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Sacramento, CA ($109,246 → $117,984), while prices change by +5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,921 in Sacramento | $94,410 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
44 Weak offer
Sacramento, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $68,419 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $82,780 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $99,218 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $117,984 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $139,422 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $103,390 | $97,610 (+59.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $139,640 | $131,834 (−1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $92,110 | $86,961 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $171,460 | $161,875 (+68.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.