City comparison
Savannah, GA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 4.8% higher than in Savannah, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Savannah, GA would need about $104,800 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,533 a month in Savannah, GA versus $1,445 in Waterbury, CT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Savannah, GA and 23% in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Savannah, GA than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Savannah, GA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.4% in real buying power.
- Savannah, GA: price level 95.2 (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
| Savannah, GA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,802 in Waterbury | $95,418 in Savannah |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,533/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,240 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Savannah, GA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Savannah, GA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Savannah | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Savannah, GA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
54 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Savannah, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Savannah, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Savannah, GA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Savannah, GA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Savannah → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Savannah, GA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Savannah dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,710 | $79,640 | $75,991 (+19.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,220 | $131,290 | $125,274 (+1.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,790 | $93,010 | $88,748 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,760 | $101,690 | $97,030 (+11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.