City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.8% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $106,800 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 $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −15.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Kennewick, WA ($125,431 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,651 in Kennewick | $106,780 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
90 Strong offer
Kennewick, WA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
36 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Bridgeport → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $61,722 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $74,678 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $89,508 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $106,437 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $125,776 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $100,380 | $107,185 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $127,800 | $136,464 (−16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $93,280 | $99,604 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $106,410 | $113,624 (+7.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.