City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 9.5% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,500 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.9% moving from Des Moines, IA to Norwich, CT ($107,301 → $120,094), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.2% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,535 in Norwich | $91,295 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$777/yr.
42 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Des Moines → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $69,642 | +2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $84,260 | +2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $100,992 | +2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $120,094 | +2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $141,915 | +2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $83,840 | $76,542 (+24.2%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $123,780 | $113,005 (−10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $82,530 | $75,346 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $101,330 | $92,509 (+17.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.