City comparison
Akron, OH vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 14.5% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $114,500 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.9% moving from Akron, OH to Bridgeport, CT ($111,138 → $125,431), while prices change by +14.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,452 in Bridgeport | $87,373 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
25 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Bridgeport, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Akron → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $72,737 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $88,005 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $105,481 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $125,431 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $148,222 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $98,600 | $86,150 (+9.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $162,650 | $142,112 (+34.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $102,020 | $89,138 (+13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $105,660 | $92,318 (+14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.