City comparison
Kansas City, MO 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 13.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $113,000 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,763 a year in MO and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.0% moving from Kansas City, MO to New Haven, CT ($108,173 → $125,431), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,984 in New Haven | $88,508 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$162/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$162/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | New Haven, CT | Real change, Kansas City → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $72,737 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $88,005 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $105,481 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $125,431 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $148,222 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $79,820 | $70,647 (+15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $133,040 | $117,751 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $94,960 | $84,047 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $104,490 | $92,482 (+11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.