City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.1% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,100 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Waterbury, CT ($108,592 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.2% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,143 in Waterbury | $98,869 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
65 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Harrisburg → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $72,737 | +14.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $88,005 | +14.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $105,481 | +14.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $125,431 | +14.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $148,222 | +14.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $79,640 | $78,740 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $131,290 | $129,806 (+18.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $93,010 | $91,959 (+20.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $101,690 | $100,540 (+3.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.