City comparison
Akron, OH vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 7.6% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $107,600 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.1% moving from Akron, OH to Norwich, CT ($111,138 → $120,094), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,577 in Norwich | $92,956 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
47 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Norwich, CT | Real change, Akron → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,642 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $84,260 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $100,992 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $120,094 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $141,915 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $83,840 | $77,935 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $123,780 | $115,061 (+9.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $82,530 | $76,717 (−2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $101,330 | $94,193 (+16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.