City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Sioux Falls, SD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 10.8% higher than in Sioux Falls, SD. Someone earning $100,000 in Sioux Falls, SD would need about $110,800 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 $986 in Sioux Falls, SD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 15% in Sioux Falls, SD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Sioux Falls, SD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to Sioux Falls, SD ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Sioux Falls, SD: price level 90.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 90.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,229 in Sioux Falls | $110,829 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $986/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (SD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $47,970 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Sioux Falls, SD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Sioux Falls, SD-MN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 77.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 80.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 91.9 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 90.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Sioux Falls, SD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
Sioux Falls, SD → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Sioux Falls, SD is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Sioux Falls, SD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | Real change, Norwich → Sioux Falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $50,040 | $55,459 (−33.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $101,040 | $111,981 (−9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $80,920 | $89,682 (+8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $75,350 | $83,509 (−17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.