City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 4.8% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $104,800 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,088 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Springfield, MA ($109,246 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.2% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,387 in Springfield | $104,837 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,088/yr.
84 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,088/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Springfield, MA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $69,642 | +15.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $84,260 | +15.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $100,992 | +15.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $120,094 | +15.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $141,915 | +15.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $79,640 | $83,492 (+36.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $127,740 | $133,918 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $92,010 | $96,460 (+13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $98,410 | $103,170 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.