City comparison
Austin, 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 1.7% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $101,700 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,445 in Waterbury, CT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 23% in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, 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 Waterbury, CT ($109,428 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,746 in Waterbury | $98,284 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/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 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,440 |
| 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
63 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Austin, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Austin → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $72,737 | +12.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $88,005 | +12.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $105,481 | +12.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $125,431 | +12.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $148,222 | +12.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $79,640 | $78,274 (+27.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $131,290 | $129,037 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $93,010 | $91,414 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $101,690 | $99,945 (+2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.