City comparison
Nashville, TN 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 8.5% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $108,500 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN and $1,591 in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Nashville, TN to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.6% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,533 in New Haven | $92,137 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
44 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | New Haven, CT | Real change, Nashville → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $79,820 | $73,544 (+19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $133,040 | $122,580 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $94,960 | $87,494 (+12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $104,490 | $96,274 (+14.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.