City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Mobile, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 21.3% higher than in Mobile, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Mobile, AL would need about $121,300 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 $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $810 a year higher in Mobile, AL than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Mobile, AL ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −17.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Mobile, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 88.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $82,439 in Mobile | $121,301 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $919/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $47,000 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Mobile, AL MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Mobile, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 60.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 84.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 88.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Mobile, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$810/yr.
100 Strong offer
Mobile, AL → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$810/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Mobile, AL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Mobile, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Mobile, AL | Real change, Bridgeport → Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Mobile, AL | Mobile pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $60,970 | $73,957 (−25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $122,540 | $148,643 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $72,130 | $87,495 (−14.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $79,490 | $96,422 (−8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.