City comparison
Lafayette, LA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 15.2% higher than in Lafayette, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lafayette, LA would need about $115,200 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 $898 in Lafayette, LA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 14% in Lafayette, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,311 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Lafayette, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Lafayette, LA to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +15.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Lafayette, LA: price level 87.2 (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
| Lafayette, LA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 87.2 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,177 in Norwich | $86,823 in Lafayette |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $898/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $41,780 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Lafayette, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lafayette, LA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lafayette | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.8 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 87.2 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lafayette, LA → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,311/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Lafayette, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,311/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lafayette, LA 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 Lafayette, LA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lafayette, LA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Lafayette → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lafayette, LA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Lafayette dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,770 | $83,840 | $72,792 (+52.4%) |
| Software Developers | $109,010 | $123,780 | $107,469 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,630 | $82,530 | $71,655 (+6.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,960 | $101,330 | $87,977 (+7.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.