City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 12.3% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $112,300 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.2% moving from Huntsville, AL to New Haven, CT ($110,847 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,342 in New Haven | $89,014 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | New Haven, CT | Real change, Huntsville → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $72,737 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $88,005 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $105,481 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $125,431 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $148,222 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $79,820 | $71,051 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $133,040 | $118,424 (−7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $94,960 | $84,528 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $104,490 | $93,011 (+20.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.