City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 3.5% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $103,500 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 23% in Reno, NV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.8% moving from New Haven, CT to Reno, NV ($125,431 → $106,855), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (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 | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,610 in Reno | $103,509 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
80 Strong offer
Reno, NV → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Reno, NV | Real change, New Haven → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,965 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,972 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,859 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,855 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,271 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Reno, NV | Reno pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $62,430 | $64,621 (−19.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $125,710 | $130,122 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $82,370 | $85,261 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $107,520 | $111,293 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.