City comparison
Austin, TX vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 9.0% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $109,000 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +14.6% moving from Austin, TX to Bridgeport, CT ($109,428 → $125,431), while prices change by +9.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,972 in Bridgeport | $91,767 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
30 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Bridgeport, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Austin → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $72,737 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $88,005 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $105,481 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $125,431 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $148,222 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $98,600 | $90,482 (+47.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $162,650 | $149,259 (+11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $102,020 | $93,621 (+12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $105,660 | $96,961 (−0.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.