City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Hickory, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 20.8% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $120,800 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $444 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Hickory, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.3% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Hickory, NC ($125,431 → $108,810), while prices change by −17.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Hickory, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 88.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,802 in Hickory | $120,769 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $908/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% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Hickory |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 59.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 88.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.8%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$444/yr.
100 Strong offer
Hickory, NC → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$444/yr.
25 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Hickory, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Hickory, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Hickory, NC | Real change, Bridgeport → Hickory |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,098 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,343 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,503 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,810 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,581 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Hickory, NC | Hickory pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,180 | $115,250 | $139,187 (+13.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $122,540 | $147,991 (−9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $77,490 | $93,584 (−8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $80,060 | $96,688 (−8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.