City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Spartanburg, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 10.3% higher than in Spartanburg, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Spartanburg, SC would need about $110,300 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 $1,083 in Spartanburg, SC. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 17% in Spartanburg, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Spartanburg, SC than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to Spartanburg, SC ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Spartanburg, SC: price level 91.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Spartanburg, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 91.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,648 in Spartanburg | $110,317 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,083/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $47,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Spartanburg, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Spartanburg, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 68.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 91.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Spartanburg, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
100 Strong offer
Spartanburg, SC → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Spartanburg, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Spartanburg, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Spartanburg, SC | Real change, Norwich → Spartanburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Spartanburg, SC | Spartanburg pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $60,990 | $67,283 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $114,460 | $126,269 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $77,080 | $85,033 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $82,360 | $90,857 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.