City comparison
New Haven, CT vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 6.1% higher than in New Haven, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in New Haven, CT would need about $106,100 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,591 in New Haven, CT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in New Haven, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,145 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in New Haven, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from New Haven, CT to Urban Honolulu, HI ($125,431 → $111,119), while prices change by +6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.5% in real buying power.
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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 | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,123 in Urban Honolulu | $94,230 in New Haven |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,591/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,060 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: New Haven, CT MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: New Haven, CT and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Haven | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 124.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 144.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 104.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Haven, CT → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,145/yr.
39 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → New Haven, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,145/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Haven, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from New Haven, CT to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Haven, CT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, New Haven → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,438 | −16.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,964 | −16.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,445 | −16.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,119 | −16.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,310 | −16.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Haven, CT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in New Haven dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,820 | $73,080 | $68,864 (−13.7%) |
| Software Developers | $133,040 | $120,230 | $113,293 (−14.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,960 | $74,990 | $70,663 (−25.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | $139,260 | $131,225 (+25.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.