City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 10.0% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $110,000 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Oxnard, CA than in Norwich, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.3% moving from Norwich, CT to Oxnard, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,044 in Oxnard | $90,872 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $2,250/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
23 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Norwich → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,860 | $130,440 | $118,534 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $159,430 | $144,878 (+17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $90,340 | $82,094 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $131,160 | $119,188 (+17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.