01 · the cities
Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut, sitting on Long Island Sound with a working harbor and a real waterfront. P.T. Barnum lived here and the city's museum still pays tribute to his weird genius. It's a quick train ride to New York, with much cheaper housing and proper New England summers. The food scene punches above its weight, with old-school Portuguese and Brazilian spots packed every weekend.
full dispatch→Charleston
Charleston is pastel rowhouses, cobblestone streets, the smell of pluff mud at low tide, and shrimp and grits that should be illegal everywhere else. The historic district is a working postcard, the food scene punches way above its size, and the porches are made for sitting. Spoleto Festival every spring brings world-class arts. It's small, dense, and absurdly photogenic.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,767/mo
$1,987/mo
$780/mo less than Bridgeport (39%)
Median home price
Median home price
$768k
$432k
$336k less than Bridgeport
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
6.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,108/mo
$5,805/mo
Charleston has $697/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
172 days
212 days
40 more than Bridgeport
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
10 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Charleston has 10 more days above 95°F each year than Bridgeport. Bridgeport drops below 20°F on 15 more days per year than Charleston.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
67 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Bridgeport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
20 routes
19 more direct routes than Bridgeport
Metro size
Metro size
952k metro
849k metro
Bridgeport has 5.9x fewer events per month than Charleston.
the verdict
2
Bridgeport
categories won
7
Charleston
categories won
Charleston leads on money and weather and lifestyle and wins overall.
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