City comparison
Huntington, WV 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 18.2% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $118,200 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,885 a year in WV and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Huntington, WV to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +18.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (much 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
| Huntington, WV | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,250 in New Haven | $84,567 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$40/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$40/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | New Haven, CT | Real change, Huntington → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $79,820 | $67,501 (+17.5%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $133,040 | $112,507 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $94,960 | $80,304 (+13.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $104,490 | $88,364 (+9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.