Colorado Springs cost of living
Prices in the Colorado Springs, CO metro area run at 100.7 against a national average of 100, ranking it #75 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 116.2.
What drives the number
Colorado Springs sits at 100.7, which is as close to the national average as this series gets. That makes it a useful reference point: a salary quoted here means roughly what the same salary means nationally. Against Colorado as a whole it is 2.4 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is doing nearly all of the work. Rents sit at 116.2 while goods sit at 96.1, a gap of 15.5 points between what it costs to live somewhere and what it costs to buy things. Someone who could reduce their housing cost here, by living further out or with fewer rooms, would remove most of the premium.
Comparing a job here against one elsewhere on the headline salary alone will mislead by roughly 0.7 per cent. Adjusting by the parity fixes that.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Colorado Springs is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 10,910 | $32,770 | $32,542 | $30,480 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 9,250 | $37,280 | $37,021 | $37,090 |
| Retail Salespersons | 7,990 | $35,410 | $35,164 | $34,580 |
| Registered Nurses | 7,290 | $89,210 | $88,590 | $93,600 |
| Cashiers | 6,640 | $34,360 | $34,121 | $31,190 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 6,310 | $45,010 | $44,697 | $42,830 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 5,760 | $97,350 | $96,673 | $81,270 |
| Software Developers | 5,370 | $130,170 | $129,265 | $133,080 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 100.7.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | 105.8 | 146.9 | #24 |
| Boulder | 105.2 | 157.0 | #29 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | 101.1 | 120.6 | #65 |
| Greeley | 100.2 | 112.6 | #85 |
| Grand Junction | 95.5 | 86.4 | #157 |
| Pueblo | 91.8 | 71.3 | #251 |
Colorado Springs: common questions
Is Colorado Springs expensive?
Prices are 0.7% above the national average, a parity of 100.7 where the country is 100. It ranks #75 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Colorado as a whole it is 2.4 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Colorado Springs?
The median worker there earns $51,410, which buys what $51,053 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 116.2 against goods at 96.1. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.