City comparison
Norwich, CT vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 8.1% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $108,100 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, CA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in San Luis Obispo, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.3% moving from Norwich, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,115 in San Luis Obispo | $92,494 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,914/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
36 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; San Luis Obispo, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Norwich → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $97,620 | $90,293 (+7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $135,020 | $124,886 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $88,160 | $81,543 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $138,820 | $128,400 (+26.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.