City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 1.8% higher than in Bridgeport, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT would need about $101,800 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $2,100 in Bridgeport, CT. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 33% in Bridgeport, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA ($125,431 → $124,085), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,810 in Santa Maria | $98,222 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $2,746/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% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Santa Maria, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
34 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $71,957 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $87,061 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $104,349 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $124,085 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $146,632 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $101,030 | $99,234 (+0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $158,290 | $155,476 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $91,610 | $89,982 (−11.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $137,360 | $134,918 (+27.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.