City comparison
Hartford, CT 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 1.8% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $101,800 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 $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- Both are in CT, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,925 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Hartford, CT to New Haven, CT ($120,094 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,765 in New Haven | $98,266 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Hartford, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | New Haven, CT | Real change, Hartford → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $72,737 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $88,005 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $105,481 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $125,431 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $148,222 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $79,820 | $78,436 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $133,040 | $130,733 (−1.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $94,960 | $93,313 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $104,490 | $102,678 (+1.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.