City comparison
Fresno, CA 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 2.4% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $102,400 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.3% moving from Fresno, CA to New Haven, CT ($106,973 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.6% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,350 in New Haven | $97,704 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
61 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Fresno, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Fresno → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $72,737 | +14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $88,005 | +14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $105,481 | +14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $125,431 | +14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $148,222 | +14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $79,820 | $77,987 (−1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $133,040 | $129,985 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $94,960 | $92,779 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $104,490 | $102,091 (−18.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.