City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Norwich, CT (100.4) and Palm Bay, FL (100.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Norwich, CT goes as far as $99,600 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT and $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Norwich, CT to Palm Bay, FL ($120,094 → $107,228), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,562 in Palm Bay | $100,440 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
70 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
67 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Norwich → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,181 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,233 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,173 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $107,228 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $126,711 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,860 | $122,120 | $122,657 (+20.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $131,760 | $132,340 (+6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $75,860 | $76,194 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $80,900 | $81,256 (−19.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.