The average wage in El Paso County rose to over $68,000 in 2025, up from about $65,000 in 2024, according to a report from the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC. But some residents say the increase hasn't been enough to outpace i nflation.Bonnie Goff, Chamber and EDC's VP of Economic Development, said the wage increase is making a difference for many in the region."It's allowing our residents to have a more comfortable lifestyle in the Pikes Peak region," said Goff.According to the state Office of Economic Development, Colorado's unemployment rate is also low."For every one unemployed person, there's one open job," said Goff.Last December, the state saw a decrease in "separations," meaning people were staying put at their jobs."Colorado was only one of two states in the nation that saw this positive impact," said Goff.I asked residents in Colorado Springs if they're feeling the benefits. Brothers Skylar and Merritt Ogren said the raise hasn't gone far enough."My dollar is not going further right now, I don't think that it's helped us surpass the inflation," said Skylar Ogren."So, we are actually making more than we made before and we're still feeling like, you know, we're barely able to put," said Merritt Ogren.According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a single adult in Colorado Springs would need to earn just over $50,000 to cover basic expenses like food, housing and transportation, meaning the extra $3,000 in average wages does help in that scenario.However, the picture changes significantly depending on household makeup. For a single parent, the living wage nearly doubles. For a two-adult household where only one person works, the $68,000 average wage comes close to the $70,000 yearly living wage threshold.If both parents work, that required number drops, though households with three or more children may still need to earn above the county average to get by.The wage increase offers relief for some Colorado Springs residents, but how far it goes depends heavily on individual household situations._______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less