City comparison
New Haven, CT vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 10.0% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $110,000 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from New Haven, CT to St. Louis, MO ($125,431 → $109,137), while prices change by −9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,942 in St. Louis | $109,960 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$162/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$162/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | St. Louis, MO | Real change, New Haven → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,288 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,573 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,779 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $109,137 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,967 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $60,650 | $66,691 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $129,030 | $141,882 (+6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $78,880 | $86,737 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $83,180 | $91,465 (−12.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.