City comparison
Providence, RI vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 5.9% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $105,900 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,402 a month in Providence, RI and $1,382 in Springfield, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,632 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Providence, RI to Springfield, MA ($120,548 → $120,094), while prices change by −5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.5% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- 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
| Providence, RI | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,388 in Springfield | $105,946 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,632/yr.
87 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Providence, RI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,632/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Springfield, MA | Real change, Providence → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,642 | +5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $84,260 | +5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,992 | +5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $120,094 | +5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,915 | +5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $79,640 | $84,376 (−2.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $127,740 | $135,336 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $92,010 | $97,481 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $98,410 | $104,262 (+4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.