City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 6.8% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $106,800 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,011 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from New Haven, CT to Richmond, VA ($125,431 → $111,183), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.3% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,591 in Richmond | $106,848 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,011/yr.
90 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,011/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Richmond, VA | Real change, New Haven → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,475 | −5.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,009 | −5.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,499 | −5.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,183 | −5.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,385 | −5.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $61,290 | $65,487 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $132,120 | $141,167 (+6.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $84,220 | $89,987 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $93,580 | $99,988 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.