City comparison
Hartford, CT vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 8.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $108,500 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 $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Hartford, CT to San Antonio, TX ($120,094 → $108,001), while prices change by −7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,185 in San Antonio | $108,478 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
95 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Hartford → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,629 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,776 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,823 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $108,001 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $127,624 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $61,720 | $66,953 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $128,430 | $139,318 (+5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $78,650 | $85,318 (−11.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $94,370 | $102,371 (+0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.