City comparison
Little Rock, AR 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 17.0% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $117,000 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,687 a year in AR and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Little Rock, AR to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +17.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,003 in New Haven | $85,468 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$238/yr.
37 Weak offer
New Haven, CT → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$238/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | New Haven, CT | Real change, Little Rock → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $79,820 | $68,220 (+16.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $133,040 | $113,706 (+9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $94,960 | $81,160 (+23.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $104,490 | $89,305 (+10.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.