City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 7.9% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $107,900 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,634 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.5% moving from New Haven, CT to Tucson, AZ ($125,431 → $108,455), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| New Haven, CT | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,671 in Tucson | $107,908 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,634/yr.
93 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$1,634/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Tucson, AZ | Real change, New Haven → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,893 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,095 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,205 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,455 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,162 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $47,220 | $50,954 (−36.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $123,710 | $133,494 (+0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $76,320 | $82,356 (−13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $94,110 | $101,553 (−2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.