City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 7.9% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $107,900 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $543 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Louisville, KY to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.6% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,920 in Norwich | $92,662 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$543/yr.
46 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$543/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Norwich, CT | Real change, Louisville → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $83,840 | $77,688 (+26.1%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $123,780 | $114,697 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $82,530 | $76,474 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $101,330 | $93,894 (+10.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.