City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Harrisburg, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 8.3% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $108,300 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 $1,212 in Harrisburg, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Harrisburg, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Harrisburg, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Harrisburg, PA ($125,431 → $108,592), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Harrisburg, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 98.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,314 in Harrisburg | $108,326 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,212/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $49,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 96.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 108.1 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 98.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Harrisburg, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
95 Strong offer
Harrisburg, PA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Harrisburg, PA is in Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Harrisburg, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Harrisburg, PA | Real change, Bridgeport → Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,972 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,190 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,320 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,592 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,323 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $77,160 | $83,585 (−15.2%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $109,470 | $118,585 (−27.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $76,510 | $82,881 (−18.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $96,770 | $104,827 (−0.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.