City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 4.6% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $104,600 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Fresno, CA ($125,431 → $106,973), while prices change by −4.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,596 in Fresno | $104,607 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Fresno, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
83 Strong offer
Fresno, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Fresno, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,033 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,055 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,959 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,973 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,410 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $78,800 | $82,430 (−16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $129,060 | $135,005 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $78,690 | $82,315 (−19.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $125,420 | $131,198 (+24.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.