City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 16.8% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $116,800 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Brownsville, TX to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +16.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much 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
| Brownsville, TX | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,830 in Norwich | $85,594 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Norwich, CT | Real change, Brownsville → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $83,840 | $71,762 (+13.3%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $123,780 | $105,948 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $82,530 | $70,641 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $101,330 | $86,733 (+7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.