City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs South Bend, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 15.1% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $115,100 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 $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,005 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in South Bend, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to South Bend, IN ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | South Bend, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 92.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,894 in South Bend | $115,083 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $46,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | South Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 74.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 87.7 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.2 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 92.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,005/yr.
100 Strong offer
South Bend, IN → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,005/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; South Bend, IN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to South Bend, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | South Bend, IN | Real change, Bridgeport → South Bend |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | South Bend, IN | South Bend pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $58,180 | $66,955 (−32.1%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $95,500 | $109,904 (−32.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $77,940 | $89,696 (−12.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $93,540 | $107,649 (+1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.