City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 8.8% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $108,800 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 $1,382 in Springfield, MA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.3% moving from New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA ($125,431 → $120,094), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.2% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,873 in Springfield | $108,846 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
96 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Springfield, MA | Real change, New Haven → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,642 | +4.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,260 | +4.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,992 | +4.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,094 | +4.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,915 | +4.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $79,640 | $86,685 (+8.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $127,740 | $139,040 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $92,010 | $100,150 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $98,410 | $107,116 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.