City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.3% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $104,300 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.6% moving from New Haven, CT to Port St. Lucie, FL ($125,431 → $113,356), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,858 in Port St. Lucie | $104,321 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
82 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, New Haven → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $65,735 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $79,533 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $95,326 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $113,356 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $133,953 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $53,610 | $55,927 (−29.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $128,510 | $134,063 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $79,430 | $82,862 (−12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $82,090 | $85,637 (−18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.