[cottercutie]

We just relocated to Stratford and are really enjoying it here. You could probably even find cheaper apartments or a rental house for less than 1500/mo in Derby/Ansonia/Shelton too. We looked at plenty of nice places in that range.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Really? I guess it depends on your definition of "comfortably". Jay

Well in Bridgeport city itself it may be doable, but it will almost certainly not be a very nice or safe area to live, I wasn't sure if by "comfortably" you meant financial or safety.

The suggestions about the Valley, Milford, etc. are good. Just don't look anywhere WEST of Bridgeport (i.e. Fairfield, Westport, etc.) as due to that direction being towards NY City you will have some of the most expensive housing in the entire US! Good luck.....

[Stylo]

Stratford and Shelton could work at your budget. Again, if saving is a priority - the valley towns like Ansonia, Derby, Seymour are your best bet. Milford is a great place to live if you can find an apartment at the right price, but is more expensive than all the aforementioned towns. That said, it's still cheaper than the towns west of Bridgeport.

[pinkbunnies86]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

After income tax and benefits, you're probably looking at closer to 3,000/month.

But in that case, you might want to look into Shelton, Stratford and Seymour. Milford can be looked at too but it will be more expensive.

The 50K is take-home pay, after taxes.

Also, thanks for the community college recommendations, I appreciate it.

[pinkbunnies86]

Okay, so Bridgeport itself would be affordable but unsafe? As for these other areas..Derby, Shelton, etc. These more affordable options are safe? What kind of commute would I be looking at?

[Stylo]

The nice parts of Bridgeport aren't as affordable as you might think. Black Rock is probably the best neighborhood to be in for both quality of life and things to do, and it can get a little pricey. But you could certainly afford it and should consider it. North Bridgeport is fairly typical suburbia and moderately priced. The cheap areas of Bridgeport should be avoided. They can be dangerous. Eastern Bridgeport is generally bad.

Derby has more crime than Shelton, but it is not "bad". It's also cheaper than Shelton by quite a bit. With the money you're making, you probably would want to stick to nicer areas of Shelton and Seymour in that neck of the woods.

The commute from all options mentioned is pretty easy.

[andthentherewere3]

How old is your daughter, will she be going to school any time soon? Bridgeport's schools are pretty bad, they are ranked 175 out of 176. If you are looking for decent schools, you might want to start doing some research on school districts. There are several websites that compare test scores, class size etc., here is just one:

Connecticut State Cities - CT City School Rankings

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

How old is your daughter, will she be going to school any time soon? Bridgeport's schools are pretty bad, they are ranked 175 out of 176. If you are looking for decent schools, you might want to start doing some research on school districts. There are several websites that compare test scores, class size etc., here is just one:

Connecticut State Cities - CT City School Rankings

The metrics on School Digger have always seemed nebulous, but Bridgeport is definitely not a city known for good schools. A lot of the issues are due to poverty.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by pinkbunnies86

The 50K is take-home pay, after taxes.

Also, thanks for the community college recommendations, I appreciate it.

Nice. Good for you.

All of the towns mentioned have good areas and not so good areas (with the exception of probably Seymour and Milford). If you want to check out apartments, then come back here and question us on area, we can help you out. IMO, I would avoid Bridgeport. I would also avoid the towns west of Bridgeport, as they are very, very expensive.

[Stylo]

Does Shelton really have not-so-good areas though? Maybe a little dumpy (so are parts of Devon) but always seemed safe?

If you can swing it, Spinnaker and Metro Point apartments in Milford are pretty nice. They may be pushing it though if you're looking to maintain a small budget.