City comparison
Albany, NY vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 5.0% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $105,000 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 $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Albany, NY than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.2% moving from Albany, NY to New Haven, CT ($109,810 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.8% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,015 in New Haven | $95,225 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
53 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | New Haven, CT | Real change, Albany → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $72,737 | +8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $88,005 | +8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $105,481 | +8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $125,431 | +8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $148,222 | +8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $79,820 | $76,008 (−4.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $133,040 | $126,687 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $94,960 | $90,425 (+6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $104,490 | $99,500 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.