City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Houston, TX
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 Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Houston, TX ($125,431 → $122,749), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.0% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,294 in Houston | $108,349 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,323/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
95 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Houston, TX | Real change, Bridgeport → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,181 | +6.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $86,123 | +6.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $103,225 | +6.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $122,749 | +6.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $145,052 | +6.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $64,500 | $69,885 (−29.1%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $129,440 | $140,248 (−13.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $85,090 | $92,195 (−9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $99,830 | $108,165 (+2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.