City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 6.3% higher than in Bridgeport, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT would need about $106,300 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT and $2,085 in Los Angeles, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Los Angeles, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,272 in Los Angeles | $94,099 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
37 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −6.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −6.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −6.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −6.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −6.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $101,860 | $95,849 (−2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $160,920 | $151,423 (−6.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $94,360 | $88,791 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $135,560 | $127,560 (+20.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.