City comparison
Lansing, MI vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 5.7% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $105,700 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 $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Lansing, MI to Norwich, CT ($117,402 → $120,094), while prices change by +5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (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
| Lansing, MI | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.0 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,742 in Norwich | $94,570 in Lansing |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,012/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,800 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Lansing-East Lansing, MI and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lansing | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 83.5 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.0 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lansing, MI → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
52 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
87 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lansing, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Lansing, MI to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lansing, MI | Norwich, CT | Real change, Lansing → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,642 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,260 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,992 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,094 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,915 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lansing, MI | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Lansing dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $72,930 | $83,840 | $79,288 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $97,120 | $123,780 | $117,059 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,210 | $82,530 | $78,049 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | $101,330 | $95,828 (+13.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.