City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Waco, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 13.0% higher than in Waco, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Waco, TX would need about $113,000 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 $996 in Waco, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 15% in Waco, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Waco, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Waco, TX ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Waco, TX: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,515 in Waco | $112,976 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $996/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $46,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Waco, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Waco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 81.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Waco, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
Waco, TX → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Waco, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Waco, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Waco, TX | Real change, New Haven → Waco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Waco, TX | Waco pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $59,100 | $66,769 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $123,080 | $139,050 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $76,140 | $86,020 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $92,890 | $104,943 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.