City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Charlotte, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 3.6% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $103,600 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.3% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Charlotte, NC ($124,085 → $108,810), while prices change by −3.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Charlotte, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,493 in Charlotte | $103,634 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,538/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,699 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,481 (NC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Charlotte |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 97.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
80 Strong offer
Charlotte, NC → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Charlotte, NC is in Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Charlotte, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Charlotte, NC | Real change, Bakersfield → Charlotte |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $63,098 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $76,343 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $91,503 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,810 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $128,581 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $58,680 | $60,813 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $135,920 | $140,860 (+8.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $92,910 | $96,287 (+20.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $90,620 | $93,913 (−27.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.