City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 12.4% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $112,400 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,925 a year in CT and $3,763 in MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from Bridgeport, CT to St. Louis, MO ($125,431 → $109,137), while prices change by −11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,980 in St. Louis | $112,384 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$162/yr.
100 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$162/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Bridgeport → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $63,288 | −2.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $76,573 | −2.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $91,779 | −2.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $109,137 | −2.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $128,967 | −2.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $60,650 | $68,161 (−30.9%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $129,030 | $145,009 (−10.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $78,880 | $88,649 (−13.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $83,180 | $93,481 (−11.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.