City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 3.6% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $103,600 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,445 in Waterbury, CT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 23% in Waterbury, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Nashville, TN to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.8% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Nashville, TN | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,571 in Waterbury | $96,552 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
58 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Nashville, TN to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Nashville → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +13.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +13.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +13.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +13.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +13.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $79,640 | $76,894 (+25.1%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $131,290 | $126,764 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $93,010 | $89,803 (+15.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $101,690 | $98,184 (+16.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.