City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 2.3% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $102,300 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $391 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to Provo, UT ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,797 in Provo | $102,253 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$391/yr.
76 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$391/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Provo, UT | Real change, Norwich → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $62,930 | $64,348 (−23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $131,210 | $134,166 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $75,700 | $77,405 (−6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $81,780 | $83,622 (−17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.