City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.7% higher than in Visalia, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Visalia, CA would need about $104,700 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 Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from New Haven, CT to Visalia, CA ($125,431 → $106,973), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,472 in Visalia | $104,742 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Visalia, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
84 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Visalia, CA | Real change, New Haven → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,033 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,055 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,959 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,973 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,410 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $98,430 | $103,098 (+29.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $126,170 | $132,153 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $79,400 | $83,165 (−12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $125,180 | $131,116 (+25.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.