City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 4.2% higher than in Worcester, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Worcester, MA would need about $104,200 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 $1,599 in Worcester, MA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 26% in Worcester, MA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $855 a year higher in Worcester, MA than in Bridgeport, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Worcester, MA ($125,431 → $120,548), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.2% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,938 in Worcester | $104,234 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $57,830 |
| 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 Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Worcester, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$855/yr.
81 Strong offer
Worcester, MA → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$855/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Worcester, MA | Real change, Bridgeport → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,905 | +0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,579 | +0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $101,375 | +0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,548 | +0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $142,452 | +0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,600 | $82,810 | $86,316 (−12.5%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $146,950 | $153,172 (−5.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $94,070 | $98,053 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $100,240 | $104,484 (−1.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.