City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 1.8% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,800 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Norwich, CT ($108,592 → $120,094), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.6% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
- 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
| Harrisburg, PA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,820 in Norwich | $98,213 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
63 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Harrisburg → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $69,642 | +8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $84,260 | +8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $100,992 | +8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $120,094 | +8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $141,915 | +8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $83,840 | $82,342 (+6.7%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $123,780 | $121,568 (+11.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $82,530 | $81,055 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $101,330 | $99,519 (+2.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.