City comparison
Hartford, CT vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 5.7% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $105,700 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.3% moving from Hartford, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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 Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,694 in San Luis Obispo | $94,613 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
43 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Hartford → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $97,620 | $92,361 (+15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $135,020 | $127,747 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $88,160 | $83,411 (−13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $138,820 | $131,342 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.