City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 3.7% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $103,700 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Vallejo, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +3.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (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 | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,749 in Vallejo | $96,386 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,705/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
54 Fair offer
Vallejo, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; 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; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Vallejo, CA | Real change, New Haven → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $100,790 | $97,148 (+21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $136,930 | $131,982 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $95,800 | $92,338 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $203,290 | $195,944 (+87.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.