City comparison
Hartford, CT vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 9.6% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $109,600 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in New York, NY than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Hartford, CT to New York, NY ($120,094 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,555 in New York | $91,279 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
15 Weak offer
New York, NY → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | New York, NY | Real change, Hartford → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $72,737 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $88,005 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $105,481 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $125,431 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $148,222 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | New York, NY | New York pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $96,900 | $88,449 (+10.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $166,830 | $152,280 (+14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $105,650 | $96,436 (+0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $119,720 | $109,279 (+7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.