City comparison
Boston, MA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.8% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $107,800 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Boston, MA to Norwich, CT ($120,548 → $120,094), while prices change by −7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,776 in Norwich | $107,786 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
93 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Boston → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,642 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $84,260 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,992 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $120,094 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,915 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $83,840 | $90,368 (−7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $123,780 | $133,418 (−19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $82,530 | $88,956 (−11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $101,330 | $109,220 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.