City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 8.7% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $108,700 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Merced, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by −8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Merced, CA: 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 | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,963 in Merced | $108,740 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,213/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
96 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
31 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Merced, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $100,120 | $108,870 (+10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $132,120 | $143,667 (−11.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,420 | $87,449 (−14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $131,620 | $143,123 (+35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.