City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 5.0% higher than in Providence, RI. Someone earning $100,000 in Providence, RI would need about $105,000 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 $1,402 in Providence, RI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 22% in Providence, RI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Providence, RI ($125,431 → $120,548), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,236 in Providence | $105,002 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $53,680 |
| 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 Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Providence, RI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
84 Strong offer
Providence, RI → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$777/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Providence, RI | Real change, Bridgeport → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,905 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,579 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,375 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,548 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,452 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $86,720 | $91,058 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $130,690 | $137,228 (−15.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $95,020 | $99,773 (−2.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $99,880 | $104,876 (−0.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.