City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 4.9% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $104,900 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 $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $935 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to Syracuse, NY ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,318 in Syracuse | $104,912 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$935/yr.
84 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$935/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Norwich → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $78,560 | $82,419 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $129,100 | $135,442 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $82,230 | $86,269 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $86,960 | $91,232 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.