City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Anchorage, AK (105.4) and New Haven, CT (104.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Anchorage, AK goes as far as $99,200 in New Haven, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to New Haven, CT ($120,348 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,183 in New Haven | $100,823 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,591/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% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
71 Strong offer
New Haven, CT → Anchorage, AK
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | New Haven, CT | Real change, Anchorage → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $72,737 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $88,005 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $105,481 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $125,431 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $148,222 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $79,820 | $80,477 (+1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $133,040 | $134,136 (+28.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $94,960 | $95,742 (+16.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $104,490 | $105,350 (−8.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.