City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 3.2% higher than in Chicago, IL. Someone earning $100,000 in Chicago, IL would need about $103,200 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 $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $880 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Chicago, IL ($125,431 → $118,984), while prices change by −3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,941 in Chicago | $103,156 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Chicago, IL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$880/yr.
78 Strong offer
Chicago, IL → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$880/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Chicago, IL | Real change, Bridgeport → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,999 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,482 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,059 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $118,984 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $140,604 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $78,390 | $80,864 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $134,380 | $138,620 (−14.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $82,360 | $84,959 (−16.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $100,490 | $103,661 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.