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→Hartford
Hartford is the insurance capital of America (Aetna, Travelers, the works), with the steeple of the Travelers building visible from miles away. Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in his weird and wonderful Hartford house, now a museum. The Connecticut River curves past downtown, and the surrounding small towns are New England postcard material. Quieter than its neighbors, with serious history.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,767/mo
$1,931/mo
$836/mo less than Bridgeport (43%)
Median home price
Median home price
$768k
$411k
$356k less than Bridgeport
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
5.5%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,108/mo
$5,944/mo
Hartford has $836/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
148 days
24 fewer than Bridgeport
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
15 days
47 days
days below 20°F per year
Hartford drops below 20°F on 32 more days per year than Bridgeport.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
67 / 100
3.0 pts ahead of Bridgeport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
26 routes
25 more direct routes than Bridgeport
Metro size
Metro size
952k metro
1.2M metro
Bridgeport has 4.1x fewer events per month than Hartford.
the verdict
2
Bridgeport
categories won
5
Hartford
categories won
Hartford wins on money and lifestyle. Bridgeport has the edge on weather.
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