City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.8% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $106,800 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 $1,660 in Atlanta, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 27% in Atlanta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.4% moving from Atlanta, GA to Bridgeport, CT ($112,556 → $125,431), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,802 in Bridgeport | $93,631 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
36 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
87 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Bridgeport, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Atlanta → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $72,737 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $88,005 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $105,481 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $125,431 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $148,222 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $131,490 | $123,180 | $115,335 (−12.3%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $162,650 | $152,291 (+14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $102,020 | $95,523 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $105,660 | $98,931 (−1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.