City comparison
Lincoln, NE 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 14.2% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $114,200 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 $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $255 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Lincoln, NE to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much 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
| Lincoln, NE | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,171 in New Haven | $87,588 in Lincoln |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,800 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lincoln, NE and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lincoln | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.2 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 76.8 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lincoln, NE → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$255/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$255/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lincoln, NE 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 Lincoln, NE to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lincoln, NE | New Haven, CT | Real change, Lincoln → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lincoln, NE | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Lincoln dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,940 | $79,820 | $69,913 (+12.9%) |
| Software Developers | $101,690 | $133,040 | $116,527 (+14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,170 | $94,960 | $83,173 (+27.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,530 | $104,490 | $91,521 (+4.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.