Auburn-Opelika Norwich-New London-Willimantic

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Auburn-Opelika to Norwich-New London-Willimantic is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 87.9 to 100.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $685/mo.

+$19,985
BLS median salary higher in Norwich-New London-Willimantic
376 to 139
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
17.7:1 to 12.1:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$10,231
DOL infant care higher / yr in Norwich-New London-Willimantic

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 87.9 → 100.4
Rent Delta: +$685/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $20K higher median salary
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - 13% higher cost of living
  • - $685/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 87.9 to 100.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Norwich-New London-Willimantic (ratio 1.14). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $685/mo ($8,220/yr) from $1,181 in Auburn-Opelika to $1,866 in Norwich-New London-Willimantic.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Norwich-New London-Willimantic sits #49 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (top third of the corpus). Auburn-Opelika is #142/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $19,985 higher ($57,668 → $77,653). Labor-market size: 62,880 tracked jobs at origin vs 107,970 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Alabama scores 75 (B, #5/51) vs Connecticut at 52 (D, #41/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Auburn-Opelika
Norwich-New London-Willimantic
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 87.9
RPP 100.4
Auburn-Opelika
Rent (2BR)
$1,181/mo
$1,866/mo
Auburn-Opelika
Wages
$57,668
$77,653
Norwich-New London-Willimantic
Crime
376 per 100K
139 per 100K
Norwich-New London-Willimantic
Schools
17.7:1
12.1:1
Norwich-New London-Willimantic
Childcare
$6,896/yr
$17,127/yr
Auburn-Opelika
Environment
538 violations
801 violations
Auburn-Opelika

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Alabama
75 B #5/51
Income tax
90
Property tax
92
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
20
Destination state · Connecticut
52 D #41/51
Income tax
62
Property tax
50
Estate tax
50
Healthcare
86

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Auburn-Opelika to see what you'd need to earn in Norwich-New London-Willimantic to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Norwich-New London-Willimantic
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026