City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 2.6% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,600 in Norwich, CT to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT and $1,512 in Virginia Beach, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,011 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from Norwich, CT to Virginia Beach, VA ($120,094 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.8% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,507 in Virginia Beach | $102,557 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,011/yr.
77 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,011/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Norwich → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,640 | −7.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,788 | −7.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,838 | −7.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $108,019 | −7.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $127,646 | −7.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $63,380 | $65,000 (−22.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $129,090 | $132,390 (+7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $79,450 | $81,481 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $89,450 | $91,737 (−9.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.