City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Raleigh, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 6.5% higher than in Raleigh, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Raleigh, NC would need about $106,500 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT and $1,596 in Raleigh, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $444 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Raleigh, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from New Haven, CT to Raleigh, NC ($125,431 → $111,147), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Raleigh, NC: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Raleigh, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,877 in Raleigh | $106,522 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,596/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $51,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Raleigh-Cary, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 103.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Raleigh, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$444/yr.
89 Strong offer
Raleigh, NC → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$444/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Raleigh, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Raleigh, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Raleigh, NC | Real change, New Haven → Raleigh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,453 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,983 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,468 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,147 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,342 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Raleigh, NC | Raleigh pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $60,170 | $64,094 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $132,770 | $141,430 (+6.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $81,950 | $87,295 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $84,830 | $90,363 (−13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.