City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Norwich, CT (100.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,400 in Norwich, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.7% moving from Atlanta, GA to Norwich, CT ($112,556 → $120,094), while prices change by +0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,387 in Norwich | $99,615 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
68 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Atlanta → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,642 | +6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,260 | +6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,992 | +6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,094 | +6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,915 | +6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $83,840 | $83,517 (+9.1%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $123,780 | $123,303 (−7.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $82,530 | $82,212 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $101,330 | $100,940 (+0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.