City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.6% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $102,600 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Dallas, TX to Norwich, CT ($115,711 → $120,094), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.5% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (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
| Dallas, TX | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,434 in Norwich | $102,633 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
77 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Norwich, CT | Real change, Dallas → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,642 | +6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $84,260 | +6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,992 | +6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $120,094 | +6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $141,915 | +6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $83,840 | $86,048 (+32.2%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $123,780 | $127,039 (−4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $82,530 | $84,703 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $101,330 | $103,998 (+2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.