USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Amherst-Northampton, MA vs Norwich, CT: cost of living compared

Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).

The short answer

  • Overall, living costs in Norwich, CT and Amherst-Northampton, MA are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Amherst-Northampton works out to about $75,200 in Norwich, before taxes.
  • Housing is 4.0% lower in Norwich, goods 0.3% higher and other services 1.4% higher, which roughly cancel out.
  • Zillow does not publish typical rent for Amherst-Northampton, so rents are not compared here.
  • The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Norwich was 4.0% more expensive than Amherst-Northampton.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.

Overall prices are about the same in Amherst-Northampton and Norwich

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
All items
100.2 100.4
Goods
97.0 97.3
Housing (rents)
97.5 93.7
Utilities
155.7 148.6
Other services
101.2 102.7

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
All items100.2100.4
Goods97.097.3
Housing (rents)97.593.7
Utilities155.7148.6
Other services101.2102.7
CategoryAmherst-NorthamptonNorwichNorwich vs Amherst-Northampton
All items 100.2 100.4 +0.2%
Goods 97.0 97.3 +0.3%
Housing (rents) 97.5 93.7 −4.0%
Utilities 155.7 148.6 −4.6%
Other services 101.2 102.7 +1.4%
Salary to match $75,000 in Amherst-Northampton $75,000 $75,200 +0.2%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Amherst-Northampton and Norwich has narrowed since 2008: 4.0 points then, 0.2 now

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
200899.7103.7
2009103.7104.2
201096.7101.5
2011100.1101.6
201299.3101.7
2013100.0102.1
201499.398.0
2015103.1101.9
201699.7102.6
2017102.3102.3
2018100.8101.7
201998.7102.7
2020101.8102.1
202199.0100.0
2022101.1103.6
2023102.8100.7
2024100.2100.4

Goods

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
200899.8100.6
2009101.1100.9
201098.097.9
201197.997.8
201297.497.1
201397.397.0
201497.697.0
201598.898.7
201698.398.2
201799.599.1
2018100.8101.4
201997.998.7
202098.899.0
202196.997.0
2022100.8101.1
202398.898.6
202497.097.3

Housing (rents)

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
200888.5113.9
2009112.8118.1
201080.6111.4
2011104.9114.1
201299.6117.0
201396.0113.9
2014102.495.2
2015116.0107.4
201690.0112.2
2017101.8103.7
2018101.0102.7
201988.2107.5
2020103.0101.7
202194.998.6
202283.8100.1
2023107.091.8
202497.593.7

Utilities

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
2008140.6156.3
2009138.9160.3
2010121.0147.8
2011120.7138.9
2012118.0132.9
2013121.9131.6
2014126.3136.5
2015132.4139.8
2016131.0140.7
2017138.0143.1
2018146.4143.9
2019145.0145.9
2020156.5163.1
2021150.5147.9
2022142.9141.6
2023156.9156.5
2024155.7148.6

Other services

  • Amherst-Northampton, MA
  • Norwich, CT
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
Amherst-Northampton, MANorwich, CT
2008101.3101.1
2009101.4100.8
201099.899.5
201199.499.4
201299.899.4
2013101.9101.1
201498.798.2
2015101.4100.8
2016102.1101.6
2017102.9102.7
201899.5100.2
2019100.9102.3
2020101.6102.4
202199.9100.8
2022105.6104.9
2023102.1103.0
2024101.2102.7

More about each city

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
  • Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.