City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Durham, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 9.5% higher than in Durham, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Durham, NC would need about $109,500 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 $1,507 in Durham, NC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 24% in Durham, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $444 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Durham, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Durham, NC ($125,431 → $111,147), while prices change by −8.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Durham, NC: price level 97.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Durham, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 97.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,305 in Durham | $109,523 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $60,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Durham-Chapel Hill, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 98.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 97.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Durham, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$444/yr.
99 Strong offer
Durham, NC → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$444/yr.
29 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Durham, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Durham, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Durham, NC | Real change, Bridgeport → Durham |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,453 | −3.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,983 | −2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,468 | −3.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,147 | −2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,342 | −2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Durham, NC | Durham pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $51,400 | $56,295 (−42.9%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $135,620 | $148,535 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $85,090 | $93,193 (−8.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | not published | — |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.