City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.8% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,800 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,244 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Virginia Beach, VA ($109,246 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,253 in Virginia Beach | $102,824 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,244/yr.
78 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,244/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,640 | +1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $75,788 | +1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $90,838 | +1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,019 | +1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $127,646 | +1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $63,380 | $65,170 (+6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $129,090 | $132,736 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,450 | $81,694 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $89,450 | $91,976 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.