City comparison
Atlanta, GA 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 4.5% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $104,500 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,591 in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to New Haven, CT ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,498 in New Haven | $95,695 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,591/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 | 27% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
55 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Atlanta → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,820 | $76,384 (−0.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $133,040 | $127,313 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $94,960 | $90,872 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $104,490 | $99,992 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.