City comparison
Columbia, SC vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 6.5% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $106,500 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Columbia, SC to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.6% in real buying power.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
- 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
| Columbia, SC | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,530 in Waterbury | $93,870 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,445/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
50 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbia, SC is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbia, SC to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Columbia → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +10.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +10.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +10.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +10.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +10.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $79,640 | $74,758 (+24.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $131,290 | $123,242 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $93,010 | $87,309 (+26.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $101,690 | $95,457 (+16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.