City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.7% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $101,700 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.3% moving from Fresno, CA to Norwich, CT ($106,973 → $120,094), while prices change by −1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.2% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,323 in Norwich | $101,705 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
74 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
64 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Fresno → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $69,642 | +14.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $84,260 | +14.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $100,992 | +14.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $120,094 | +14.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $141,915 | +14.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $118,420 | $101,860 | $103,597 (−12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $123,780 | $125,891 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $82,530 | $83,937 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $101,330 | $103,058 (−17.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.