City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.1% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $106,100 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 $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,692 in CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Colorado Springs, CO ($125,431 → $109,246), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,238 in Colorado Springs | $106,114 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$233/yr.
88 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$233/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Bridgeport → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,351 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,650 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,870 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $109,246 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $129,096 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,140 | $64,878 (−34.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $134,280 | $142,490 (−12.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $85,000 | $90,197 (−11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $96,140 | $102,018 (−3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.