City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Norwich, CT (100.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $100,100 in Norwich, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,496 a month in Norwich, CT versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,999 a year in MI and $3,925 in CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.3% moving from Detroit, MI to Norwich, CT ($117,402 → $120,094), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.1% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,147 in Norwich | $99,854 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Norwich, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
68 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Norwich, CT | Real change, Detroit → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,642 | +2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $84,260 | +2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,992 | +2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $120,094 | +2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,915 | +2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $83,840 | $83,717 (+28.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $123,780 | $123,599 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $82,530 | $82,409 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $101,330 | $101,182 (+4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.