City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 6.4% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $106,400 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Provo, UT ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.7% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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 | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,949 in Provo | $106,441 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
89 Strong offer
Provo, UT → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Provo, UT | Real change, New Haven → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Provo, UT | Provo pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $62,930 | $66,983 (−16.1%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $131,210 | $139,661 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $75,700 | $80,576 (−15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $81,780 | $87,047 (−16.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.