City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 20.0% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $120,000 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 $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Davenport, IA ($125,431 → $108,137), while prices change by −16.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $83,357 in Davenport | $119,965 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
100 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$777/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Davenport, IA | Real change, Bridgeport → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,708 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,871 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,937 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,137 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,786 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,650 | $73,959 (−25.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $115,780 | $138,896 (−14.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $77,600 | $93,093 (−8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $77,150 | $92,553 (−12.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.