City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 2.6% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $102,600 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Hartford, CT ($120,348 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.4% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,463 in Hartford | $102,603 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
77 Strong offer
Hartford, CT → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Hartford, CT | Real change, Anchorage → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $69,642 | +2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $84,260 | +2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $100,992 | +2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $120,094 | +2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $141,915 | +2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $79,800 | $81,877 (+3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $132,520 | $135,969 (+30.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $95,940 | $98,437 (+19.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $101,470 | $104,111 (−9.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.