City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Santa Rosa, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bridgeport, CT (106.9) and Santa Rosa, CA (107.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT goes as far as $100,900 in Santa Rosa, CA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT and $2,155 in Santa Rosa, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Santa Rosa, CA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Santa Rosa, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Santa Rosa, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 107.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,861 in Santa Rosa | $99,146 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $2,155/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% | 35% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $56,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 139.6 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 154.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 107.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Santa Rosa, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
51 Fair offer
Santa Rosa, CA → Bridgeport, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Santa Rosa, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Santa Rosa, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Santa Rosa, CA | Real change, Bridgeport → Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Santa Rosa, CA | Santa Rosa pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $99,060 | $98,214 (−0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $148,630 | $147,361 (−9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $94,690 | $93,882 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $174,550 | $173,060 (+63.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.