City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 9.3% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,300 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 $1,148 in Omaha, NE. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 18% in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $255 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Norwich, CT to Omaha, NE ($120,094 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,504 in Omaha | $109,285 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$255/yr.
98 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$255/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Omaha, NE | Real change, Norwich → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,339 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,425 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $90,402 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $107,501 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $127,033 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $62,670 | $68,489 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $125,220 | $136,847 (+10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $77,030 | $84,182 (+2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $84,600 | $92,455 (−8.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.