City comparison
Nashville, TN vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 4.3% higher than in Nashville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Nashville, TN would need about $104,300 in Norwich, CT to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,578 a month in Nashville, TN versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Nashville, TN and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Nashville, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.8% moving from Nashville, TN to Norwich, CT ($106,437 → $120,094), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.2% in real buying power.
- Nashville, TN: price level 96.3 (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
| Nashville, TN | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.3 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,263 in Norwich | $95,911 in Nashville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,578/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,390 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Nashville | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.6 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 72.0 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 96.3 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Nashville, TN → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
56 Fair offer
Norwich, CT → Nashville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Nashville, TN | Norwich, CT | Real change, Nashville → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,642 | +8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,260 | +8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,992 | +8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,094 | +8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,915 | +8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Nashville, TN | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Nashville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,460 | $83,840 | $80,412 (+30.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,610 | $123,780 | $118,719 (−6.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,080 | $82,530 | $79,156 (+1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | $101,330 | $97,187 (+15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.