City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Sacramento, 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 Sacramento, CA (106.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT goes as far as $99,800 in Sacramento, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT versus $1,832 in Sacramento, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 30% in Sacramento, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.9% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Sacramento, CA ($125,431 → $117,984), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,818 in Sacramento | $100,182 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,832/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% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Sacramento, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
62 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; 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; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,419 | −5.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,780 | −5.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,218 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,984 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $139,422 | −5.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $103,390 | $103,578 (+5.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $139,640 | $139,894 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $92,110 | $92,278 (−9.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $171,460 | $171,772 (+62.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.