City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Roanoke, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 11.7% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $111,700 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,011 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Roanoke, VA ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Roanoke, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,536 in Roanoke | $111,687 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,053/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $47,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Roanoke, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Roanoke |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 88.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$1,011/yr.
100 Strong offer
Roanoke, VA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,011/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Roanoke, VA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Roanoke, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Roanoke, VA | Real change, New Haven → Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Roanoke, VA | Roanoke pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $62,010 | $69,257 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $121,110 | $135,264 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $77,240 | $86,267 (−9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $80,090 | $89,450 (−14.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.