City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Colorado Springs, CO (100.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,800 in Colorado Springs, CO.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, 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 Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Colorado Springs, CO ($124,085 → $109,246), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,823 in Colorado Springs | $100,178 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,464/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% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
69 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Bakersfield → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $63,351 | −11.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $76,650 | −11.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $91,870 | −11.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $109,246 | −11.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $129,096 | −11.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,140 | $61,249 (−23.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $134,280 | $134,519 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $85,000 | $85,151 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $96,140 | $96,311 (−25.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.