City comparison
New York, NY vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.1% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $112,100 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in New York, NY than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.3% moving from New York, NY to Norwich, CT ($125,431 → $120,094), while prices change by −10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.3% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (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
| New York, NY | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,234 in Norwich | $112,064 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
100 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
11 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Norwich, CT | Real change, New York → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,642 | +7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,260 | +7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,992 | +7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,094 | +7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,915 | +7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $83,840 | $93,955 (−3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $123,780 | $138,713 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $82,530 | $92,487 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $101,330 | $113,555 (−5.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.