City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in New Haven, CT (104.6) and Salem, OR (103.6, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in New Haven, CT goes as far as $99,100 in Salem, OR.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,995 a year higher in Salem, OR than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from New Haven, CT to Salem, OR ($125,431 → $114,684), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,130 in Salem | $100,878 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Salem, OR
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,995/yr.
71 Strong offer
Salem, OR → New Haven, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,995/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Salem, OR | Real change, New Haven → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $66,505 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $80,465 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $96,443 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $114,684 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $135,522 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Salem, OR | Salem pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $74,810 | $75,467 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $131,620 | $132,776 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $87,480 | $88,248 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $131,750 | $132,907 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.