City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 13.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $113,800 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $255 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.3% moving from New Haven, CT to Omaha, NE ($125,431 → $107,501), while prices change by −12.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,903 in Omaha | $113,761 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$255/yr.
100 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$255/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Omaha, NE | Real change, New Haven → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,339 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,425 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,402 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,501 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,033 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $62,670 | $71,294 (−10.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $125,220 | $142,452 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $77,030 | $87,630 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $84,600 | $96,242 (−7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.