City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 11.9% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $111,900 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,957 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.5% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Columbus, OH ($125,431 → $111,065), while prices change by −10.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $89,337 in Columbus | $111,936 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,194/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,957/yr.
100 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,957/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, OH | Real change, Bridgeport → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $64,406 | −0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $77,926 | −0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $93,400 | −0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $111,065 | −0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $131,245 | −0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $78,150 | $87,478 (−11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $122,340 | $136,942 (−15.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $81,700 | $91,452 (−10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $83,900 | $93,914 (−11.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.