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→Worcester
Worcester (pronounced 'WOO-stuh', please) is triple-deckers, classic American diners (the city helped invent the diner), and a college-heavy student population (Clark, Holy Cross, WPI, and a dozen more). The smiley face was invented here in 1963. It's central Massachusetts' working-class anchor and quietly gaining a real food scene. Cheaper than Boston, an hour away when you need it.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,767/mo
$2,140/mo
$627/mo less than Bridgeport (29%)
Median home price
Median home price
$768k
$486k
$282k less than Bridgeport
State income tax
State income tax
5.5%
5.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$5,108/mo
$5,777/mo
Worcester has $669/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
55 days
days below 20°F per year
Worcester drops below 20°F on 40 more days per year than Bridgeport.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
59 / 100
5.0 pts behind Bridgeport
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
1 routes
2 routes
Metro size
Metro size
952k metro
867k metro
Bridgeport has 4.3x fewer events per month than Worcester.
the verdict
3
Bridgeport
categories won
4
Worcester
categories won
Worcester wins on money. Bridgeport has the edge on weather and lifestyle.
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