City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Lancaster, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 8.8% higher than in Lancaster, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Lancaster, PA would need about $108,800 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 $1,220 in Lancaster, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Lancaster, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Lancaster, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Lancaster, PA ($125,431 → $108,592), while prices change by −8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Lancaster, PA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Lancaster, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,946 in Lancaster | $108,760 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,220/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $48,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Lancaster, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Lancaster, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 93.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 107.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Lancaster, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
96 Strong offer
Lancaster, PA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Lancaster, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Lancaster, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Lancaster, PA | Real change, Bridgeport → Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,972 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,190 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,320 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,592 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,323 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Lancaster, PA | Lancaster pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $78,360 | $85,224 (−13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $104,740 | $113,915 (−30.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $76,110 | $82,777 (−18.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $89,620 | $97,470 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.