City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.3% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $107,300 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Boston, MA ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by +7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,315 in Boston | $93,183 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
25 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Boston, MA | Real change, Bakersfield → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $98,060 | $91,376 (+14.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $166,090 | $154,768 (+18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $100,150 | $93,323 (+17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $106,180 | $98,942 (−23.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.