City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Pensacola, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 2.8% higher than in Pensacola, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Pensacola, FL would need about $102,800 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 $1,257 in Pensacola, FL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Pensacola, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Pensacola, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to Pensacola, FL ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Pensacola, FL: price level 97.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Pensacola, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 97.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,284 in Pensacola | $102,792 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,257/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% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $46,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Pensacola |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 98.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 97.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Pensacola, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
77 Strong offer
Pensacola, FL → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Pensacola, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Pensacola, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Pensacola, FL | Real change, Norwich → Pensacola |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Pensacola, FL | Pensacola pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $50,360 | $51,766 (−38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $108,430 | $111,457 (−10.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $76,410 | $78,543 (−4.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $77,890 | $80,064 (−21.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.