City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 2.7% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $102,700 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from New Haven, CT to Providence, RI ($125,431 → $120,548), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (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 | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,335 in Providence | $102,737 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
77 Strong offer
Providence, RI → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$777/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Providence, RI | Real change, New Haven → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,905 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,579 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,375 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,548 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,452 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Providence, RI | Providence pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $86,720 | $89,094 (+11.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $130,690 | $134,268 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $95,020 | $97,621 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $99,880 | $102,614 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.