City comparison
Lexington, KY 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 12.6% higher than in Lexington, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Lexington, KY would need about $112,600 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 $1,079 in Lexington, KY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 17% in Lexington, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Lexington, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Lexington, KY to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Lexington, KY: price level 92.9 (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
| Lexington, KY | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,563 in New Haven | $88,839 in Lexington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,079/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,620 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lexington-Fayette, KY and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lexington | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.1 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 96.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lexington, KY → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Lexington, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lexington, KY | New Haven, CT | Real change, Lexington → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lexington, KY | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Lexington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $79,820 | $70,911 (+15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,510 | $133,040 | $118,191 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,780 | $94,960 | $84,361 (+8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,040 | $104,490 | $92,828 (+17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.