Forbes names Bridgeport 3rd best paying city for women

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) -- Last year Forbes named Bridgeport as America's 4th dirtiest city in the nation, but it looks like the Park City is cleaning up it's reputation. The magazine now says it's one of the best city's in the country for women.

According to Forbes Magazine, the Bridgeport metro area ranks third in the country for the best-paying cities for women.

"A little surprised," said Bridgeport resident Amber Saleh. "I think it's good though."

According to Forbes, the median salary for women in the Bridgeport Metro area is a little more than $54,800.

"It feels good, why not," said Bridgeport resident Ebony Lewis. "As women we work just as hard as men, especially now, so I think it's just a good opportunity for women to feel number 1 for a change. I think it's amazing, it's good."

"I don't think so," said Kyeshia Gibson, of Bridgeport.

"You don't believe the study," asked News 8's Ali Reed.

"No," Gibson said.

"Why?"

"Because a lot of people don't work in Bridgeport. They leave, they take the train and leave."

"To go where?"

"New York, Stamford, Norwalk."

The study groups Bridgeport with the rest of Fairfield County, that's why officials say the area is ranked so high.

"So what we're seeing is a big picture that really talks about coastal CT and I think we've seen year after year that companies in coastal CT pay good earnings," said Davis Kooris, City of Bridgeport.

While many women News 8 talked to were excited by the statistic, many say we still have a long road to go.

Forbes says women in the U.S 'earn only 77 percent as much as men', in Bridgeport it's 73 percent.

"I was surprised to see that 73 percent gets you to number 3," said Kooris. "It shows that while we're a leader on this issue, the nation as a whole still has a long way to go."

"My field is construction, so I'm a minority in the field and in the industry," said Bridgeport resident Amber Saleh, "so it's good to see that women are rising above that."