City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Cincinnati, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 5.8% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $105,800 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Cincinnati, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Cincinnati, OH ($124,085 → $110,865), while prices change by −5.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Cincinnati, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,532 in Cincinnati | $105,784 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,051/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $50,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 87.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
87 Strong offer
Cincinnati, OH → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Cincinnati, OH is in Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Cincinnati, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Cincinnati, OH | Real change, Bakersfield → Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,290 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,785 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,231 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $110,865 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,009 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $64,740 | $68,484 (−14.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $121,420 | $128,443 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,640 | $85,304 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,650 | $88,488 (−31.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.