City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI vs Bakersfield, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ann Arbor, MI (100.9) and Bakersfield, CA (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ann Arbor, MI goes as far as $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,387 a month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Ann Arbor, MI and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Ann Arbor, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.7% moving from Ann Arbor, MI to Bakersfield, CA ($117,402 → $124,085), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.7% in real buying power.
- Ann Arbor, MI: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Ann Arbor, MI | Bakersfield, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,006 in Bakersfield | $99,994 in Ann Arbor |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,387/mo | $1,140/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,380 | $47,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Ann Arbor, MI MSA and Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA. Metro areas: Ann Arbor, MI and Bakersfield-Delano, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ann Arbor | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.3 | 90.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 98.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ann Arbor, MI → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
69 Fair offer
Bakersfield, CA → Ann Arbor, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ann Arbor, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Bakersfield, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Ann Arbor, MI to Bakersfield, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ann Arbor, MI | Bakersfield, CA | Real change, Ann Arbor → Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $71,957 | +5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $87,061 | +5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $104,349 | +5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $124,085 | +5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $146,632 | +5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ann Arbor, MI | Bakersfield, CA | Bakersfield pay in Ann Arbor dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,060 | $79,900 | $79,895 (+24.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,830 | $130,330 | $130,322 (+2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $79,620 | $79,615 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,450 | $128,810 | $128,802 (+24.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.