City comparison
Birmingham, AL vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 9.6% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $109,600 in Norwich, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Birmingham, AL than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.7% moving from Birmingham, AL to Norwich, CT ($107,510 → $120,094), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,603 in Norwich | $91,238 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
41 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Norwich, CT | Real change, Birmingham → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $69,642 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $84,260 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $100,992 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $120,094 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $141,915 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $83,840 | $76,494 (+22.1%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $123,780 | $112,934 (−9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $82,530 | $75,299 (−4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $101,330 | $92,451 (+17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.