City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Philadelphia, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 4.2% higher than in Philadelphia, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Philadelphia, PA would need about $104,200 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 $1,520 in Philadelphia, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 24% in Philadelphia, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Philadelphia, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Philadelphia, PA ($125,431 → $117,284), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Philadelphia, PA: price level 102.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Philadelphia, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 102.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,967 in Philadelphia | $104,203 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,520/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% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $54,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 113.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 114.4 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 103.1 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 102.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Philadelphia, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
82 Strong offer
Philadelphia, PA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Philadelphia, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Philadelphia, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Philadelphia, PA | Real change, Bridgeport → Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,013 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,289 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $98,630 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,284 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $138,595 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $78,570 | $81,872 (−17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $133,040 | $138,631 (−14.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $85,990 | $89,604 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $101,180 | $105,432 (−0.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.