City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 14.0% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $114,000 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Mobile, AL to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much 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
| Mobile, AL | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,015 in Norwich | $87,708 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL 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 Mobile, AL to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Norwich, CT | Real change, Mobile → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $83,840 | $73,534 (+20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $123,780 | $108,565 (−11.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $82,530 | $72,385 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $101,330 | $88,874 (+11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.