City comparison
Akron, OH vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 12.0% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $112,000 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Akron, OH to New Haven, CT ($111,138 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,984 in New Haven | $89,299 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | New Haven, CT | Real change, Akron → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $72,737 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $88,005 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $105,481 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $125,431 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $148,222 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $79,820 | $71,278 (−9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $133,040 | $118,803 (+12.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $94,960 | $84,798 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $104,490 | $93,308 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.