City comparison
Harrisburg, PA 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 6.0% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $106,000 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to New Haven, CT ($108,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.0% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,990 in New Haven | $94,349 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
51 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Harrisburg → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $72,737 | +9.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $88,005 | +9.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $105,481 | +9.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $125,431 | +9.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $148,222 | +9.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $79,820 | $75,309 (−2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $133,040 | $125,521 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $94,960 | $89,593 (+17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $104,490 | $98,585 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.