City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 3.7% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $103,700 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 $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Salt Lake City, UT ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.0% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (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 | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,470 in Salt Lake City | $103,659 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
80 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, New Haven → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $77,920 | $80,771 (+1.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $129,600 | $134,342 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $82,100 | $85,104 (−10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $85,890 | $89,033 (−14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.