City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.0% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $108,000 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.8% moving from Norwich, CT to Vallejo, CA ($120,094 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,998 in Vallejo | $92,594 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
42 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Norwich → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $77,161 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $93,358 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $111,896 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $133,060 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $157,236 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $100,790 | $93,325 (+11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $136,930 | $126,789 (+2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $95,800 | $88,705 (+7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $203,290 | $188,234 (+85.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.