City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 9.8% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $109,800 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 $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (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
| Chattanooga, TN | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,819 in Norwich | $91,059 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
41 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
99 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chattanooga, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chattanooga, TN to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Norwich, CT | Real change, Chattanooga → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,160 | $101,860 | $92,752 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $123,780 | $112,713 (+5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $82,530 | $75,151 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $101,330 | $92,270 (+15.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.