City comparison
Dayton, OH 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 12.8% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $112,800 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.6% moving from Dayton, OH to New Haven, CT ($110,401 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Dayton, OH | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,800 in New Haven | $88,652 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | New Haven, CT | Real change, Dayton → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $72,737 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $88,005 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $105,481 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $125,431 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $148,222 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $79,820 | $70,762 (−11.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $133,040 | $117,943 (+10.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $94,960 | $84,184 (+6.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $104,490 | $92,633 (+12.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.