City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 13.6% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $113,600 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,885 a year in WV and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Huntington, WV to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,597 in Norwich | $88,030 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$40/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.6%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$40/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntington, WV is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntington, WV to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Norwich, CT | Real change, Huntington → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $83,840 | $73,805 (+28.5%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $123,780 | $108,964 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $82,530 | $72,651 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $101,330 | $89,201 (+10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.