Des Moines-West Des Moines → Norwich-New London-Willimantic
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Des Moines-West Des Moines to Norwich-New London-Willimantic is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 91.7 to 100.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $548/mo.
- +$7,723
- BLS median salary higher in Norwich-New London-Willimantic
- 238 to 139
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 14.8:1 to 12.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $8,821
- 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.
Pros of Moving
- + $8K higher median salary
- + Lower violent crime rate
- + Better student-teacher ratios
Cons of Moving
- - 9% higher cost of living
- - $548/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 91.7 to 100.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Norwich-New London-Willimantic (ratio 1.10). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $548/mo ($6,576/yr) from $1,318 in Des Moines-West Des Moines 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). Des Moines-West Des Moines is #145/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $7,723 higher ($69,930 → $77,653). Labor-market size: 394,120 tracked jobs at origin vs 107,970 at destination.
State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Iowa scores 70 (B, #8/51) vs Connecticut at 52 (D, #41/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 85
- Property tax
- 58
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 42
- 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines to see what you'd need to earn in Norwich-New London-Willimantic to maintain the same purchasing power.
Norwich-New London-Willimantic metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
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