City comparison
Columbus, OH vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 5.2% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,200 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.1% moving from Columbus, OH to Norwich, CT ($111,065 → $120,094), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.8% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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, OH | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,212 in Norwich | $95,046 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
53 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Norwich, CT | Real change, Columbus → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $69,642 | +2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $84,260 | +2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $100,992 | +2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $120,094 | +2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $141,915 | +2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $83,840 | $79,687 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $123,780 | $117,648 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $82,530 | $78,442 (−4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $101,330 | $96,310 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.