City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Utica, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 8.7% higher than in Utica, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Utica, NY would need about $108,700 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $926 in Utica, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 15% in Utica, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Utica, NY than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Utica, NY ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Utica, NY: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Utica, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 92.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,027 in Utica | $108,663 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $48,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Utica-Rome, NY MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Utica-Rome, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Utica |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 66.1 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 131.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 92.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Utica, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
96 Strong offer
Utica, NY → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Utica, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Utica, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Utica, NY | Real change, Colorado Springs → Utica |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +5.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +5.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Utica, NY | Utica pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $77,010 | $83,682 (+36.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $113,390 | $123,213 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,830 | $86,746 (+2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $94,300 | $102,470 (+6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.