City comparison
Cape Coral, FL 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 2.2% higher than in Cape Coral, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Cape Coral, FL would need about $102,200 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Cape Coral, FL to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.4% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Cape Coral, FL | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,159 in New Haven | $97,886 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
62 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Cape Coral, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | New Haven, CT | Real change, Cape Coral → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $79,820 | $78,133 (+29.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $133,040 | $130,228 (+2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $94,960 | $92,953 (+17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $104,490 | $102,281 (+23.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.