City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 4.9% higher than in Portland, ME. Someone earning $100,000 in Portland, ME would need about $104,900 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 $1,658 in Portland, ME. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 27% in Portland, ME.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,729 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Portland, ME ($125,431 → $120,548), while prices change by −4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,316 in Portland | $104,915 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Portland, ME
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$1,729/yr.
81 Strong offer
Portland, ME → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,729/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Portland, ME | Real change, Bridgeport → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,905 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,579 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,375 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,548 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,452 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $76,770 | $80,543 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $128,710 | $135,036 (−17.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $79,790 | $83,711 (−17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $88,470 | $92,818 (−12.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.