City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 17.7% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $117,700 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,311 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Bridgeport, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +17.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,718 in Bridgeport | $84,949 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,311/yr.
25 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,311/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Bridgeport, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Baton Rouge → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $98,600 | $83,760 (+41.2%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $162,650 | $138,170 (+35.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $102,020 | $86,665 (+18.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $105,660 | $89,757 (+10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.