City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 16.5% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $116,500 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.5% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Des Moines, IA ($125,431 → $107,301), while prices change by −14.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,811 in Des Moines | $116,535 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,109/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
100 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; 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; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Bridgeport → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,223 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,284 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,234 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $107,301 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $126,797 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,650 | $71,844 (−27.1%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $126,460 | $147,370 (−9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $79,290 | $92,401 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $78,630 | $91,632 (−13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.