City comparison
Norwich, CT vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 8.3% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $108,300 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA ($120,094 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,316 in Santa Maria | $92,322 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
16 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Norwich → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $71,957 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $87,061 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $104,349 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $124,085 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $146,632 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $101,030 | $93,273 (+11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $158,290 | $146,137 (+18.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $91,610 | $84,577 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $137,360 | $126,814 (+25.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.