City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Charleston, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 5.8% higher than in Charleston, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charleston, SC would need about $105,800 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 $1,630 in Charleston, SC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 26% in Charleston, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $918 a year higher in Charleston, SC than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Charleston, SC ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Charleston, SC: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,477 in Charleston | $105,846 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,630/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $49,150 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 119.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Charleston, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$918/yr.
85 Strong offer
Charleston, SC → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$918/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Charleston, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Charleston, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Charleston, SC | Real change, Bridgeport → Charleston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Charleston, SC | Charleston pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,020 | $64,587 (−34.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $132,150 | $139,875 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $79,350 | $83,989 (−17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $92,800 | $98,225 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.