City comparison
Norwich, CT vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 8.2% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $108,200 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 $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,005 a year higher in Norwich, CT than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Norwich, CT to South Bend, IN ($120,094 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,447 in South Bend | $108,171 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,005/yr.
94 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$1,005/yr.
45 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | South Bend, IN | Real change, Norwich → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $61,722 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $74,678 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,508 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,437 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $125,776 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $58,180 | $62,934 (−24.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $95,500 | $103,303 (−16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $77,940 | $84,308 (+2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $93,540 | $101,183 (−0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.