City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 15.5% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $115,500 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Kansas City, MO ($125,431 → $108,173), while prices change by −13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,599 in Kansas City | $115,475 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$162/yr.
100 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$162/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Bridgeport → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $62,729 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $75,897 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $90,968 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $108,173 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $127,829 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $61,060 | $70,509 (−28.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $124,990 | $144,332 (−11.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $80,040 | $92,426 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $83,040 | $95,890 (−9.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.