New Haven, CT vs Providence, RI
Moving from New Haven to Providence? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($408,096 → $524,867 median home) and taxes.
New Haven vs Providence at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in New Haven, CT, you'd need about $96,349 in Providence, RI (−$3,651).
Livability — New Haven, CT: 58 · Providence, RI: 58 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,328 sqft in New Haven vs 1,524 sqft in Providence ($215 vs $328 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | New Haven, CT | Providence, RI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $26,232 | $25,956 | −$276 |
| Groceries | $4,930 | $4,922 | −$8 |
| Transportation | $3,720 | $3,875 | +$155 |
| Utilities | $3,480 | $3,060 | −$420 |
| Insurance | $1,600 | $1,700 | +$100 |
| Taxes | $15,543 | $13,121 | −$2,421 |
| Total | $55,505 | $52,634 | −$2,871 |
Side by side
| Metric | New Haven, CT | Providence, RI |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 105.4 | 101.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.36% | 5.82% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 0.5% | 3.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 41 | 42 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.99 | $5.78 |
| Median home price | $408,096 | $524,867 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.0× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 4.8% | 3.1% |
| Price per square foot | $215 | $328 |
| Median rent | $2,186 | $2,163 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 15.4% | 11.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.35% | 7.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 6.99% | 5.99% |
| Property tax rate | 2.17% | 1.31% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $8,200 | $7,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $13,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 2.07% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 25 | 26 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,700 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $2,100 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $800 | $900 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 32.2 | 28.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.40 | 3.35 |
| Violent crime /100k | 150 | 240 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 18 | 21 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 4 | 4 |