City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Norwich, CT (100.4) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Norwich, CT goes as far as $99,900 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.9% moving from Norwich, CT to Spokane, WA ($120,094 → $106,991), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,901 in Spokane | $100,099 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
69 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Spokane, WA | Real change, Norwich → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,044 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,068 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,974 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,991 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $126,432 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $98,800 | $98,897 (+18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $130,690 | $130,819 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $86,350 | $86,435 (+4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $111,750 | $111,860 (+10.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.