City comparison
Hartford, CT vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 7.0% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $107,000 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.4% moving from Hartford, CT to York, PA ($120,094 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Hartford, CT | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,434 in York | $107,027 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
91 Strong offer
York, PA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | York, PA | Real change, Hartford → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $70,623 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $85,447 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $102,415 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $121,785 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $143,913 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | York, PA | York pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $79,730 | $85,333 (+6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $114,600 | $122,653 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $75,160 | $80,442 (−16.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $96,210 | $102,971 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.