City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Cape Coral, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 1.5% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $101,500 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Cape Coral, FL ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Cape Coral, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,450 in Cape Coral | $98,571 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,638/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $46,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 125.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 86.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Cape Coral, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
64 Fair offer
Cape Coral, FL → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Cape Coral, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Cape Coral, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Cape Coral, FL | Real change, Bakersfield → Cape Coral |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Cape Coral, FL | Cape Coral pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $60,470 | $59,606 (−25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $126,940 | $125,125 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,420 | $78,285 (−1.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $82,860 | $81,676 (−36.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.