City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Flint, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 14.9% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $114,900 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 $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 14% in Flint, 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 Flint, MI ($125,431 → $117,402), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.5% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Flint, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 93.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,058 in Flint | $114,866 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $856/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% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $45,880 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Flint, MI MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Flint, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Flint |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 74.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 97.1 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 93.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$74/yr.
100 Strong offer
Flint, MI → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$74/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Flint, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Flint, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Flint, MI | Real change, Bridgeport → Flint |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $68,081 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $82,372 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $98,729 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $117,402 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $138,734 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Flint, MI | Flint pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $65,620 | $75,375 (−23.6%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $101,750 | $116,876 (−28.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $74,500 | $85,575 (−16.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $97,780 | $112,316 (+6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.