Colorado Springs vs Santa Fe
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $444,900 in Santa Fe and $452,600 in Colorado Springs.
- Households earn more in Colorado Springs ($84,818 vs $73,482 median).
- Colorado Springs gets far more snow: 33 inches a year vs 20.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Santa Fe, NM | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 494,743 | 89,837 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.1% | +2.7% |
| People per square mile | 2,448 | 1,720 |
| Median age | 35.7 | 46.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43% | 48% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $84,818 | $73,482 |
| Median home value | $452,600 | $444,900 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 6.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,648 | $1,463 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.7 | 98.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 116.2 | 108.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,500 | $74,100 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 5.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.68% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.7 | 21.0 |
| Work from home | 18% | 17% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.6% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 9% | 12.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 19° | 43° / 18° |
| July high / low | 87° / 58° | 86° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 13 in |
| Snowfall per year | 33 in | 20 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 23 | 24 |
| Nights below freezing | 160 | 168 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.1 | 86.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 68% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +22.8% | +42% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Colorado Springs: May to June and August to September. Santa Fe: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Colorado Springs weather by month and Santa Fe weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,500 in Colorado Springs and $74,100 in Santa Fe. Moving from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe, you would need about $73,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Colorado Springs and Santa Fe
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Colorado Springs and Santa Fe.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.