City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Boulder, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 4.3% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $104,300 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Boulder, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Boulder, CO ($124,085 → $118,675), while prices change by +4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Boulder, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 105.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,278 in Boulder | $95,897 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,795/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $69,580 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Boulder, CO MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Boulder, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Boulder |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 157.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 82.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 105.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
51 Fair offer
Boulder, CO → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
82 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Boulder, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Boulder, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Boulder, CO | Real change, Bakersfield → Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,819 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,265 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $99,800 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $118,675 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $140,239 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Boulder, CO | Boulder pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $80,640 | $77,332 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $164,560 | $157,809 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $99,990 | $95,888 (+20.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $103,290 | $99,052 (−23.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.