City comparison
Austin, TX vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 6.6% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $106,600 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,591 in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.6% moving from Austin, TX to New Haven, CT ($109,428 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,621 in New Haven | $93,790 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,591/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 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
49 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
89 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | New Haven, CT | Real change, Austin → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $72,737 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $88,005 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $105,481 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $125,431 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $148,222 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $136,590 | $128,108 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $133,040 | $124,778 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $94,960 | $89,063 (+7.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $104,490 | $98,001 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.