City comparison
New Haven, CT vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 10.6% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $110,600 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from New Haven, CT to San Francisco, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,572 in San Francisco | $90,439 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,977/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
4 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | San Francisco, CA | Real change, New Haven → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $101,860 | $92,121 (+15.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $186,640 | $168,795 (+26.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $110,730 | $100,143 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $186,610 | $168,768 (+61.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.