City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.1% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $113,100 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Norwich, CT ($124,085 → $120,094), while prices change by −11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much 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
| Los Angeles, CA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,446 in Norwich | $113,063 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/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 | 34% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
100 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Los Angeles → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,642 | +9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,260 | +9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,992 | +9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,094 | +9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,915 | +9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $83,840 | $94,792 (−6.9%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $123,780 | $139,949 (−13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $82,530 | $93,311 (−1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $101,330 | $114,567 (−15.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.