City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.1% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $103,100 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.9% moving from Chicago, IL to Norwich, CT ($118,984 → $120,094), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.1% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,959 in Norwich | $103,136 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
79 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Norwich, CT | Real change, Chicago → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $69,642 | +4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $84,260 | +4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $100,992 | +4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $120,094 | +4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $141,915 | +4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $83,840 | $86,469 (+10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $123,780 | $127,662 (−5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $82,530 | $85,118 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,330 | $104,508 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.