City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 3.1% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $103,100 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,995 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Salem, OR ($125,431 → $114,684), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,992 in Salem | $103,102 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,995/yr.
78 Strong offer
Salem, OR → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,995/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Salem, OR | Real change, Bridgeport → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $66,505 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $80,465 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $96,443 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $114,684 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $135,522 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $74,810 | $77,130 (−21.8%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $131,620 | $135,703 (−16.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $87,480 | $90,193 (−11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $131,750 | $135,837 (+28.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.