Never lived in the Springs, but culturally remember its a mix of a military town and the HQ of a very large number of evangelical Christian organizations. (Most notably, Dobson's Focus on Your Own Damn Family, as I call them... and my beliefs actually lean their direction, but the money changer types really annoy me.) Mix those and it's a tad bit more "redneck" an some prefer.
(A recent protest last year was a group of gay guys who chose to open-carry for a day. Not kidding. Funny stuff until one was illegally detained, searched, arrested, threatened with bodily harm by a group of three City of Colorado Springs Police Sargeants, and later released. No apology ever formally published by the City for violating multiple Civil Rights.)
Not exactly the most "open minded" city in Colorado. Only Boulder is worse, they're the city that claims they're open-minded unless you happen to be a fiscal or political conservative. Haha.
That's it for culture. If you're a suburban white schlub, you'll fit KCOS fine. Add in a church habit, and you'll be in politics there in no time. Haha. (Insert smiley or frown here as appropriate.)
Prices and what-not, they're a military town so prices are reasonable for housing, but you'll find most businesses also give significant military and ex-military discounts. With Oracle, HP, and others (COS was given the nickname "Silicon Mountain" during the 90s tech boom...) having large facilities, those tend to be the high-end jobs there. There's also a significant number of older retired military there that keeps the Peterson BX hopping.
My airplane co-owner owns a computer store down there and drives I-25 from south Denver to the Springs every day. That's a looooong commute when the weather is bad at Monument Hill.
Buying a house at KFLY would be nice. Active flying community, and they've recently added glider ops from the grass on the West side of the runway on most nice days.
KCOS Class C is very busy with USAFA and KFLY traffic as well as the Airlines and military going to KCOS/Peterson AFB. But like most mixed service busy places, they're great and very accommodating.
Watering grass in CO is dumb, but lots of us do it in suburban areas. Move further out of any CO city and it's brown prairie grasses most of the year. Far enough West, uphill, you're living up a dirt road that may or may not be plowed after storms, and you have a lot full of pine trees. Most folks can't afford those places.
Many folks who are relatively well off seem to live on small ranches along the north-south roads between Denver and COS along the foothills West of I-25. There's a great little bar in Palmer Lake where you cook your own steak, if you ever want to meet up there for grub.
If you buy way out of the city, expect well water, a septic system, and delivered propane and wood heat. In the city, obviously not an issue.
Not sure what else to cover. Holler if you think of something specific.
