City comparison
Allentown, PA vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.9% higher than in Allentown, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Allentown, PA would need about $106,900 in Bridgeport, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT versus $1,341 in Allentown, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 21% in Allentown, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Allentown, PA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $125,431 in either. A transfer from Allentown, PA to Bridgeport, CT changes real buying power by −6.5%, purely from prices.
- Allentown, PA: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Allentown, PA | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,898 in Bridgeport | $93,547 in Allentown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,341/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,990 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Allentown | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.5 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 107.6 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Allentown, PA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
36 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Allentown, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.9%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Allentown, PA to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Allentown, PA | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Allentown → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $72,737 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $88,005 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $105,481 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $125,431 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $148,222 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Allentown, PA | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Allentown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,040 | $98,600 | $92,237 (+16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,930 | $162,650 | $152,154 (+23.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,430 | $102,020 | $95,437 (+21.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | $105,660 | $98,842 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.