City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Chattanooga, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 16.8% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $116,800 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 $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Chattanooga, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Chattanooga, TN ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Chattanooga, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,589 in Chattanooga | $116,837 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $46,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Chattanooga, TN-GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 76.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
100 Strong offer
Chattanooga, TN → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Chattanooga, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Chattanooga, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Chattanooga, TN | Real change, Bridgeport → Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $59,830 | $69,904 (−29.1%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $106,750 | $124,724 (−23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $76,680 | $89,591 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $79,770 | $93,201 (−11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.