City comparison
Montgomery, 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 12.0% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $112,000 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Montgomery, AL than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Montgomery, AL to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (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
| Montgomery, AL | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,001 in Norwich | $89,285 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/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 | 14% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
38 Weak offer
Norwich, CT → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Montgomery, 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 Montgomery, AL to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Norwich, CT | Real change, Montgomery → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $83,840 | $74,856 (+25.6%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $123,780 | $110,517 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $82,530 | $73,687 (−1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $101,330 | $90,472 (+13.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.