City comparison
Columbia, SC 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 11.6% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $111,600 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Columbia, SC to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.6% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Columbia, SC | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,634 in New Haven | $89,578 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | New Haven, CT | Real change, Columbia → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $79,820 | $71,501 (+19.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $133,040 | $119,175 (−3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $94,960 | $85,063 (+22.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $104,490 | $93,600 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.