What salary do you need to live in Colorado Springs, CO?
For a single person: about $77,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose CO-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,735 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 3.5% Colorado income tax.
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Colorado Springs worker earns about $52,710/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — below the $62,000 a single person needs to cover local essentials, so a median local job alone runs 15% short.
Single person — est. essentials $4,171/mo
Tight
take-home covers $4,171/mo
$62,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $5,005/mo
$77,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $6,257/mo
$100,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $5,537/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,537/mo
$80,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,644/mo
$97,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $8,306/mo
$124,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,962/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,962/mo
$102,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,354/mo
$124,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,443/mo
$162,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $7,990/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,990/mo
$119,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $9,588/mo
$146,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $11,985/mo
$190,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,735) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Colorado's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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