City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.5% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $102,500 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT and $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.6% moving from Hartford, CT to Port St. Lucie, FL ($120,094 → $113,356), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,549 in Port St. Lucie | $102,512 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
77 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Hartford → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $65,735 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $79,533 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $95,326 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $113,356 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $133,953 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $53,610 | $54,957 (−31.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $128,510 | $131,739 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $79,430 | $81,425 (−15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $82,090 | $84,152 (−17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.