City comparison
Pittsburgh, PA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 5.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $105,400 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.0% moving from Pittsburgh, PA to Waterbury, CT ($110,047 → $125,431), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.1% in real buying power.
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Pittsburgh, PA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,394 in Waterbury | $94,882 in Pittsburgh |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,077/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,650 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Pittsburgh, PA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Pittsburgh | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.0 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.7 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 94.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Pittsburgh, PA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
53 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Pittsburgh, PA is in the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Pittsburgh, PA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Pittsburgh, PA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Pittsburgh → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,815 | $72,737 | +8.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,211 | $88,005 | +8.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,543 | $105,481 | +8.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,047 | $125,431 | +8.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,042 | $148,222 | +8.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Pittsburgh, PA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Pittsburgh dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,550 | $79,640 | $75,564 (−1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,500 | $131,290 | $124,570 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,940 | $93,010 | $88,249 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | $101,690 | $96,485 (+17.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.