City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 10.3% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $110,300 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,634 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.5% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Tucson, AZ ($125,431 → $108,455), while prices change by −9.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,672 in Tucson | $110,287 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,634/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,634/yr.
27 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Bridgeport → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,893 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,095 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,205 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,455 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,162 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $47,220 | $52,078 (−47.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $123,710 | $136,436 (−16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $76,320 | $84,171 (−17.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $94,110 | $103,791 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.