City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 15.1% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $115,100 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.7% moving from Columbus, GA to Hartford, CT ($112,556 → $120,094), while prices change by +15.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,062 in Hartford | $86,909 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
38 Weak offer
Hartford, CT → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Hartford, CT | Real change, Columbus → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,642 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,260 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,992 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,094 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,915 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $79,800 | $69,354 (+13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $132,520 | $115,172 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $95,940 | $83,381 (+13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $101,470 | $88,187 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.