City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.5% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $106,500 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 $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.7% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Spokane, WA ($125,431 → $106,991), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,901 in Spokane | $106,496 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
89 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Spokane, WA | Real change, Bridgeport → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,044 | −9.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,068 | −9.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,974 | −9.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,991 | −9.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,432 | −9.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,180 | $106,190 | $113,088 (−8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $130,690 | $139,179 (−14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $86,350 | $91,959 (−9.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $111,750 | $119,009 (+12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.