City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 6.7% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,700 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $461 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Norwich, CT ($121,785 → $120,094), while prices change by +6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,662 in Norwich | $93,754 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$461/yr.
49 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$461/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Norwich, CT | Real change, Hagerstown → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,642 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $84,260 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $100,992 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $120,094 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $141,915 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $83,840 | $78,603 (+24.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $123,780 | $116,048 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $82,530 | $77,375 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $101,330 | $95,001 (+2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.