City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 6.3% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $106,300 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from New Haven, CT to Seattle, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (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 | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,287 in Seattle | $94,085 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
39 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Seattle, WA | Real change, New Haven → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $102,920 | $96,832 (+21.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $167,280 | $157,385 (+18.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $99,370 | $93,492 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $128,260 | $120,673 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.