City comparison
Modesto, CA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Modesto, CA are 3.6% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $103,600 in Modesto, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.7% moving from Modesto, CA to Norwich, CT ($133,060 → $120,094), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (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
| Modesto, CA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.1 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,482 in Norwich | $103,647 in Modesto |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,356/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 | 22% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,610 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Modesto, CA MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Modesto, CA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Modesto | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 108.5 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 152.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 104.1 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Modesto, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
80 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Modesto, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Modesto, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Modesto, CA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Modesto, CA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Modesto → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,642 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $84,260 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,992 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $120,094 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,915 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Modesto, CA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Modesto dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,640 | $83,840 | $86,897 (−14.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,770 | $123,780 | $128,294 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,560 | $82,530 | $85,540 (+2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $132,590 | $101,330 | $105,025 (−20.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.