City comparison
Fort Wayne, IN vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 12.9% higher than in Fort Wayne, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Wayne, IN would need about $112,900 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 $916 in Fort Wayne, IN. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 14% in Fort Wayne, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,005 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Fort Wayne, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Fort Wayne, IN to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Fort Wayne, IN: price level 92.6 (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
| Fort Wayne, IN | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,949 in New Haven | $88,536 in Fort Wayne |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $916/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,700 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fort Wayne, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Fort Wayne, IN and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fort Wayne | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.3 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 94.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 86.2 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.1 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fort Wayne, IN → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,005/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Fort Wayne, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,005/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fort Wayne, IN 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 Fort Wayne, IN to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fort Wayne, IN | New Haven, CT | Real change, Fort Wayne → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fort Wayne, IN | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Fort Wayne dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $97,000 | $136,590 | $120,931 (+24.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,560 | $133,040 | $117,788 (+16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $94,960 | $84,073 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,630 | $104,490 | $92,511 (+16.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.