City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.2% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $104,200 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 $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from New Haven, CT to Spokane, WA ($125,431 → $106,991), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.1% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (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 | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,971 in Spokane | $104,198 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
82 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Spokane, WA | Real change, New Haven → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,044 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,068 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,974 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,991 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,432 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $98,800 | $102,948 (+29.0%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $130,690 | $136,177 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $86,350 | $89,975 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $111,750 | $116,442 (+11.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.