City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 14.8% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $114,800 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from New Haven, CT to Spartanburg, SC ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,081 in Spartanburg | $114,836 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, New Haven → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $60,990 | $70,038 (−12.3%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $114,460 | $131,441 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $77,080 | $88,515 (−6.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $82,360 | $94,579 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.