City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 3.5% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,500 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 $1,237 in Reading, PA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 20% in Reading, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.3% moving from Norwich, CT to Reading, PA ($120,094 → $117,284), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,630 in Reading | $103,488 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
80 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Reading, PA | Real change, Norwich → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $68,013 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $82,289 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $98,630 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $117,284 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $138,595 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $79,860 | $82,645 (−1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $120,920 | $125,137 (+1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $75,550 | $78,185 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $98,470 | $101,904 (+0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.