City comparison
El Paso, 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 11.0% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $111,000 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in El Paso, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from El Paso, TX to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much 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
| El Paso, TX | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,973 in Waterbury | $90,112 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
38 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Waterbury, CT | Real change, El Paso → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $79,640 | $71,765 (+12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $131,290 | $118,308 (−7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $93,010 | $83,813 (+27.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $101,690 | $91,635 (+6.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.