City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 3.7% higher than in Dallas, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Dallas, TX would need about $103,700 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 $1,648 in Dallas, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 25% in Dallas, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.7% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Dallas, TX ($125,431 → $115,711), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,468 in Dallas | $103,661 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Dallas, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
80 Strong offer
Dallas, TX → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Dallas, TX | Real change, Bridgeport → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $67,100 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $81,186 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $97,307 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $115,711 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $136,736 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $65,070 | $67,452 (−31.6%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $133,290 | $138,170 (−15.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $82,620 | $85,645 (−16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $101,420 | $105,133 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.