City comparison
Provo, UT vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.6% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $101,600 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Provo, UT to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +16.0% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Provo, UT | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,574 in Waterbury | $98,451 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
64 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Provo, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Provo → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +16.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +16.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +16.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +16.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +16.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $79,640 | $78,406 (+24.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $131,290 | $129,256 (−1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $93,010 | $91,569 (+21.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $101,690 | $100,114 (+22.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.