Salary comparison
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary: Bellingham vs New Haven
Bellingham, WA pays about 5.9% more for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary on paper — $169,470 vs $160,050. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Bellingham comes out ahead by $9,420 a year in real buying power.
Bellingham, WA
$169,470
$136,450
$173,940
$81.48
100
$169,470/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
New Haven, CT
$160,050
$131,580
$168,180
$76.95
100
$160,050/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $9,420 a year (5.9%) in favor of Bellingham. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Bellingham runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; New Haven sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Bellingham is the better deal by $9,420 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from New Haven to Bellingham for this role, the raise needs to beat 5.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do education administrators, kindergarten through secondary earn more, Bellingham or New Haven?
Bellingham pays $169,470 on median — about 5.9% more than New Haven ($160,050). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Bellingham. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Bellingham gives you roughly$169,470 of real buying power versus $160,050 in the other city.