City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 17.7% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $117,700 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 $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,311 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Shreveport, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Shreveport, LA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (much 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
| Shreveport, LA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,710 in Waterbury | $84,955 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,311/yr.
38 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,311/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA 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 Shreveport, LA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Shreveport → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $79,640 | $67,658 (+9.4%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $131,290 | $111,537 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $93,010 | $79,016 (+12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $101,690 | $86,390 (+7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.