City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Fort Collins, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 5.7% higher than in Fort Collins, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Fort Collins, CO would need about $105,700 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 $1,537 in Fort Collins, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 24% in Fort Collins, 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 −5.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Fort Collins, CO ($125,431 → $118,675), while prices change by −5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.0% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Fort Collins, CO: price level 101.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Fort Collins, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 101.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,632 in Fort Collins | $105,672 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,537/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% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 120.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 101.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Fort Collins, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$233/yr.
86 Strong offer
Fort Collins, CO → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$233/yr.
39 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Fort Collins, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Fort Collins, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Fort Collins, CO | Real change, Bridgeport → Fort Collins |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,819 | −0.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,265 | −0.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,800 | −0.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $118,675 | −0.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $140,239 | −0.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Fort Collins, CO | Fort Collins pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,180 | $133,850 | $141,442 (+14.8%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $133,990 | $141,590 (−12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $89,340 | $94,407 (−7.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $97,600 | $103,136 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.