City comparison
Norwich, CT vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Norwich, CT are 5.6% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,600 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Norwich, CT and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.1% moving from Norwich, CT to St. Louis, MO ($120,094 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.0% in real buying power.
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Norwich, CT | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.4 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,667 in St. Louis | $105,634 in Norwich |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,496/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,370 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Norwich | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.7 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.4 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Norwich, CT → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$162/yr.
86 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Norwich, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$162/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Norwich, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Norwich, CT to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Norwich, CT | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Norwich → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $63,288 | −4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $76,573 | −4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $91,779 | −4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $109,137 | −4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $128,967 | −4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Norwich, CT | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Norwich dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $83,840 | $60,650 | $64,067 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $123,780 | $129,030 | $136,299 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,530 | $78,880 | $83,324 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,330 | $83,180 | $87,866 (−13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.