City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 2.0% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $102,000 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.9% moving from New Haven, CT to Sacramento, CA ($125,431 → $117,984), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,019 in Sacramento | $98,021 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
56 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Sacramento, CA | Real change, New Haven → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,419 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,780 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,218 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,984 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $139,422 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $103,390 | $101,344 (+27.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $139,640 | $136,877 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $92,110 | $90,287 (−4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $171,460 | $168,067 (+60.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.