City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 9.2% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $109,200 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Syracuse, NY ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,567 in Syracuse | $109,209 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
98 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Syracuse, NY | Real change, New Haven → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $78,560 | $85,795 (+7.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $129,100 | $140,989 (+6.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $82,230 | $89,803 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $86,960 | $94,968 (−9.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.