City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Bridgeport, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 8.6% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $108,600 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $267 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Boise City, ID to Bridgeport, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +8.5% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Bridgeport, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 106.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,612 in Bridgeport | $92,071 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $2,100/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $61,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 150.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 147.1 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 106.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$267/yr.
31 Weak offer
Bridgeport, CT → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$267/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Bridgeport, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Bridgeport, CT | Real change, Boise City → Bridgeport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Bridgeport, CT | Bridgeport pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $98,600 | $90,782 (+48.3%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $162,650 | $149,754 (+13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $102,020 | $93,931 (+22.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $105,660 | $97,282 (−0.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.