City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Colorado Springs, CO (100.7) and Tampa, FL (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO goes as far as $100,200 in Tampa, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Tampa, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Tampa, FL ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (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 | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,182 in Tampa | $99,819 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,696/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Tampa, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
67 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tampa, FL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | −2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | −2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | −2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | −2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | −2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $60,120 | $60,011 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $130,450 | $130,213 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $78,990 | $78,847 (−7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $85,470 | $85,315 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.