City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Orlando, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 1.3% higher than in Orlando, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Orlando, FL would need about $101,300 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Orlando, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Hartford, CT to Orlando, FL ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | Orlando, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 101.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,707 in Orlando | $101,309 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,731/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $46,630 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Orlando |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 123.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 87.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 101.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
71 Strong offer
Orlando, FL → Hartford, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Orlando, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Orlando, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Orlando, FL | Real change, Hartford → Orlando |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Orlando, FL | Orlando pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $60,190 | $60,978 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $129,620 | $131,317 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $78,630 | $79,660 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $83,550 | $84,644 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.