City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 8.6% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $108,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Los Angeles, CA to New Haven, CT ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by −7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.8% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| Los Angeles, CA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,069 in New Haven | $108,614 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
95 Strong offer
New Haven, CT → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Los Angeles → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | +9.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | +9.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | +9.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | +9.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | +9.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $79,820 | $86,696 (−14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $133,040 | $144,500 (−10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $94,960 | $103,140 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $104,490 | $113,491 (−16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.