City comparison
New Haven, CT vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 3.9% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $103,900 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from New Haven, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,861 in San Luis Obispo | $96,283 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.7%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
48 Fair offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, New Haven → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $97,620 | $93,991 (+17.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $135,020 | $130,001 (−2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $88,160 | $84,883 (−10.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $138,820 | $133,659 (+27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.