City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 4.0% higher than in Bridgeport, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Bridgeport, CT would need about $104,000 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT and $2,146 in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Bridgeport, CT than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Seattle, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by +4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,995 in Seattle | $96,159 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
45 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Seattle, WA | Real change, Bridgeport → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $102,920 | $98,966 (+0.4%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $167,280 | $160,854 (−1.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $99,370 | $95,553 (−6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $128,260 | $123,333 (+16.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.