Austin, TX vs. Colorado Springs, CO
Median rent is $1,655 a month in Austin, TX and $1,562 in Colorado Springs, CO. Household income is $91,461 against $83,198. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.
A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.
What the gap means
Occupation wages in both metros
May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.
| Occupation | Austin, TX median | Colorado Springs, CO median | vs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $117,850 | $120,770 | +2.5% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,310 | $34,420 | +17.4% |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,860 | $36,060 | +6.5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $43,720 | $46,120 | +5.5% |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $134,280 | +0.1% |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $96,140 | -1.8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $27,260 | $46,230 | +69.6% |
| Project Management Specialists | $102,390 | $111,740 | +9.1% |
Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.
Austin, TX vs Colorado Springs, CO: frequently asked questions
Is Colorado Springs, CO more expensive than Austin, TX?
Overall prices are almost identical: a regional price level of 97.4 in Colorado Springs, CO against 97.6 in Austin, TX.
How much do I need to earn in Colorado Springs, CO to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Austin, TX?
About $99,800. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (97.6 in Austin, TX, 97.4 in Colorado Springs, CO) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.
Is rent cheaper in Austin, TX or Colorado Springs, CO?
The median gross rent is $1,655 a month in Austin, TX and $1,562 in Colorado Springs, CO, a difference of $93 a month or $1,116 a year.
Where are household incomes higher, Austin, TX or Colorado Springs, CO?
The median household income is $91,461 in Austin, TX and $83,198 in Colorado Springs, CO. Rent takes 21.7% of the median income in Austin, TX and 22.5% in Colorado Springs, CO.
What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Colorado Springs, CO?
About $62,500 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,562 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $66,200 in Austin, TX.
More comparisons with Austin, TX
More comparisons with Colorado Springs, CO
Definitions used on this page
- Salary needed for the median rent
- Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
- Price level
- BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
- Same standard of living
- A salary in Austin, TX converted into Colorado Springs, CO at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
- Buying power
- One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.
Sources
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- BEA — BEA Regional Price Parities 2023
Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.
Full detail for each city: Austin, TX · Colorado Springs, CO