City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Columbus, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 19.7% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $119,700 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $642 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Columbus, GA ($125,431 → $112,556), while prices change by −16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 89.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,560 in Columbus | $119,674 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $939/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $43,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Columbus, GA-AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 61.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 89.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 89.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.7%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$642/yr.
100 Strong offer
Columbus, GA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$642/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Columbus, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Columbus, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, GA | Real change, Bridgeport → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $65,271 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,972 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $94,654 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $112,556 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $133,007 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, GA | Columbus pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,360 | $73,432 (−25.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $116,150 | $139,001 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $73,640 | $88,128 (−13.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $82,500 | $98,731 (−6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.