City comparison
New Haven, CT vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 7.0% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $107,000 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Diego, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from New Haven, CT to San Diego, CA ($125,431 → $121,585), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,008 in San Diego | $93,451 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,459/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
26 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | San Diego, CA | Real change, New Haven → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $70,507 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $85,307 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $102,246 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $121,585 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $143,677 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $97,000 | $90,647 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $163,270 | $152,577 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $96,340 | $90,030 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $139,520 | $130,382 (+24.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.