City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.5% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $110,500 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,145 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.5% moving from Norwich, CT to Urban Honolulu, HI ($120,094 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.2% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,469 in Urban Honolulu | $90,523 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,145/yr.
27 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,145/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Norwich → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $64,438 | −16.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $77,964 | −16.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $93,445 | −16.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $111,119 | −16.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $131,310 | −16.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $73,080 | $66,154 (−21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $120,230 | $108,836 (−12.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $74,990 | $67,883 (−17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $139,260 | $126,062 (+24.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.