City comparison
Hartford, CT vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 12.5% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $112,500 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Hartford, CT to San Francisco, CA ($120,094 → $133,060), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.5% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,523 in San Francisco | $88,871 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Hartford → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $77,161 | −1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $93,358 | −1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $111,896 | −1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $133,060 | −1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $157,236 | −1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $101,860 | $90,524 (+13.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $186,640 | $165,868 (+25.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $110,730 | $98,406 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $186,610 | $165,841 (+63.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.