City comparison
Chicago, IL vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Chicago, IL (103.6) and New Haven, CT (104.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Chicago, IL goes as far as $100,900 in New Haven, CT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL and $1,591 in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.4% moving from Chicago, IL to New Haven, CT ($118,984 → $125,431), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,931 in New Haven | $99,078 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
65 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | New Haven, CT | Real change, Chicago → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $72,737 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $88,005 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $105,481 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $125,431 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $148,222 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $79,820 | $79,084 (+0.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $133,040 | $131,813 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $94,960 | $94,084 (+14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $104,490 | $103,527 (+3.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.