City comparison
San Antonio, TX vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 5.3% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $105,300 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.1% moving from San Antonio, TX to Waterbury, CT ($108,001 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: 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
| San Antonio, TX | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,344 in Waterbury | $94,927 in San Antonio |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,177/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,010 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Antonio | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 82.2 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Antonio, TX → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
53 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Antonio, TX is in the San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Antonio, TX to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Antonio, TX | Waterbury, CT | Real change, San Antonio → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,629 | $72,737 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,776 | $88,005 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,823 | $105,481 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,001 | $125,431 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,624 | $148,222 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Antonio, TX | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in San Antonio dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,720 | $79,640 | $75,600 (+22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,430 | $131,290 | $124,629 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,650 | $93,010 | $88,291 (+12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | $101,690 | $96,531 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.