City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bridgeport, CT (106.9) and Riverside, CA (106.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT goes as far as $99,600 in Riverside, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT versus $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Riverside, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Riverside, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,605 in Riverside | $100,396 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,777/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% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Riverside, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
64 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Riverside, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Riverside, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $98,520 | $98,911 (+0.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $133,270 | $133,798 (−17.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $83,920 | $84,253 (−17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $133,940 | $134,471 (+27.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.