City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Denver, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 1.0% higher than in Denver, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Denver, CO would need about $101,000 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 $1,754 in Denver, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 28% in Denver, CO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,692 in CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Denver, CO ($125,431 → $118,675), while prices change by −1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 105.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,987 in Denver | $101,023 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,754/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $62,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 146.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 101.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 105.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Denver, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$233/yr.
68 Fair offer
Denver, CO → Bridgeport, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$233/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Denver, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Denver, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Denver, CO | Real change, Bridgeport → Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,819 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,265 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $99,800 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $118,675 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $140,239 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Denver, CO | Denver pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $76,910 | $77,697 (−21.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $137,610 | $139,018 (−14.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $100,020 | $101,043 (−1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $101,130 | $102,164 (−3.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.