City comparison
Lakeland, FL vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.6% higher than in Lakeland, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Lakeland, FL would need about $107,600 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,230 in Lakeland, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Lakeland, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Lakeland, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Lakeland, FL to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.5% in real buying power.
- Lakeland, FL: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Lakeland, FL | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,636 in New Haven | $92,905 in Lakeland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,230/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,140 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lakeland | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.9 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lakeland, FL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
46 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Lakeland, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lakeland, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lakeland, FL to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lakeland, FL | New Haven, CT | Real change, Lakeland → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lakeland, FL | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Lakeland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,420 | $79,820 | $74,157 (+47.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,200 | $133,040 | $123,601 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,820 | $94,960 | $88,223 (+14.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,030 | $104,490 | $97,077 (+15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.