City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.5% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $106,500 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,999 in MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Detroit, MI ($125,431 → $117,402), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.3% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,856 in Detroit | $106,546 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
89 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Detroit, MI | Real change, Bridgeport → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,081 | −0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,372 | −0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $98,729 | −0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,402 | −0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $138,734 | −0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $65,210 | $69,479 (−29.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $130,760 | $139,320 (−14.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,650 | $85,930 (−15.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $97,280 | $103,648 (−1.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.