City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Bakersfield, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Bakersfield, CA (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,800 in Bakersfield, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Atlanta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Atlanta, GA to Bakersfield, CA ($112,556 → $124,085), while prices change by +0.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.3% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (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
| Atlanta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,828 in Bakersfield | $99,179 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,140/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $47,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Bakersfield-Delano, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 90.3 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
66 Fair offer
Bakersfield, CA → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Bakersfield, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Bakersfield, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | Real change, Atlanta → Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $71,957 | +9.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $87,061 | +9.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $104,349 | +9.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $124,085 | +9.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $146,632 | +9.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | Bakersfield pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $79,900 | $79,244 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $130,330 | $129,260 (−2.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $79,620 | $78,967 (−8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $128,810 | $127,753 (+27.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.