City comparison
Dayton, 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 8.4% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,400 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Dayton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.8% moving from Dayton, OH to Norwich, CT ($110,401 → $120,094), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,362 in Norwich | $92,283 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/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 | 16% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
45 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Norwich, CT | Real change, Dayton → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $69,642 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $84,260 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $100,992 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $120,094 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $141,915 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $83,840 | $77,370 (−3.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $123,780 | $114,228 (+6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $82,530 | $76,161 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $101,330 | $93,511 (+13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.