City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 10.2% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $110,200 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 $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 18% in Milwaukee, WI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,919 in WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Milwaukee, WI ($125,431 → $111,310), while prices change by −9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,711 in Milwaukee | $110,241 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$6/yr.
100 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6/yr.
27 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Bridgeport → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,548 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $78,098 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,606 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,310 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,535 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,480 | $67,776 (−31.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $123,730 | $136,401 (−16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,290 | $88,512 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $97,360 | $107,330 (+1.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.