City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.0% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $107,000 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 $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Pensacola, FL ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,456 in Pensacola | $107,002 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,257/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
91 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
48 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Pensacola, FL | Real change, New Haven → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $136,590 | $84,330 | $90,235 (−33.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $108,430 | $116,022 (−12.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $76,410 | $81,760 (−13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $77,890 | $83,344 (−20.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.