City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.0% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $105,000 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Norwich, CT ($120,348 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.7% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,281 in Norwich | $104,953 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
84 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Norwich, CT | Real change, Anchorage → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $69,642 | +4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $84,260 | +4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $100,992 | +4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $120,094 | +4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $141,915 | +4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $83,840 | $87,993 (+11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $123,780 | $129,911 (+24.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $82,530 | $86,618 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $101,330 | $106,349 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.