City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 6.3% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $106,300 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $267 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Boise City, ID to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.9% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,269 in New Haven | $94,101 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$267/yr.
50 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$267/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | New Haven, CT | Real change, Boise City → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $79,820 | $75,111 (+22.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $133,040 | $125,192 (−4.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $94,960 | $89,358 (+16.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $104,490 | $98,326 (+0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.