City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Cincinnati, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 12.1% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $112,100 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.6% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Cincinnati, OH ($125,431 → $110,865), while prices change by −10.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.0% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Cincinnati, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 95.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,244 in Cincinnati | $112,052 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,051/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $50,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 87.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 91.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 95.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
100 Strong offer
Cincinnati, OH → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Cincinnati, OH is in Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Cincinnati, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Cincinnati, OH | Real change, Bridgeport → Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,290 | −1.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,785 | −1.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,231 | −1.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $110,865 | −1.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,009 | −1.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $64,740 | $72,542 (−26.4%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $121,420 | $136,054 (−16.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,640 | $90,359 (−11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $83,650 | $93,732 (−11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.