City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.8% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $107,800 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.5% moving from New Haven, CT to Rochester, NY ($125,431 → $107,182), while prices change by −7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,804 in Rochester | $107,754 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
93 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Rochester, NY | Real change, New Haven → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,155 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,202 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,135 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,182 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,657 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $62,840 | $67,713 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $122,770 | $132,289 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $80,890 | $87,162 (−8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $86,570 | $93,283 (−10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.