City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Oxnard, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Oxnard, CA are 3.4% higher than in Bridgeport, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT would need about $103,400 in Oxnard, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,250 a month in Oxnard, CA versus $2,100 in Bridgeport, CT. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Oxnard, CA and 33% in Bridgeport, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Oxnard, 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 Oxnard, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Oxnard, CA: price level 110.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Oxnard, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 110.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,434 in Oxnard | $96,680 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $2,250/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% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $52,510 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Oxnard |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 171.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 152.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 110.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Oxnard, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
41 Weak offer
Oxnard, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Oxnard, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Oxnard, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Oxnard, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Oxnard |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Oxnard, CA | Oxnard pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $99,420 | $96,119 (−2.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $159,430 | $154,137 (−5.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $90,340 | $87,340 (−14.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $131,160 | $126,805 (+20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.