City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 12.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,500 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.7% moving from Columbus, GA to Norwich, CT ($112,556 → $120,094), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,485 in Norwich | $88,900 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/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 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, 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 Columbus, GA to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Norwich, CT | Real change, Columbus → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,642 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $84,260 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,992 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $120,094 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,915 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $83,840 | $74,534 (+21.5%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $123,780 | $110,041 (−5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $82,530 | $73,369 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $101,330 | $90,083 (+9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.