City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Columbus, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 5.7% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $105,700 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,194 in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Columbus, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Columbus, OH ($124,085 → $111,065), while prices change by −5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.4% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,631 in Columbus | $105,674 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,194/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% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Columbus, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 87.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
86 Strong offer
Columbus, OH → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.4%; 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; Columbus, OH is in Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Columbus, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, OH | Real change, Bakersfield → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,406 | −5.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,926 | −5.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,400 | −5.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,065 | −5.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,245 | −5.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, OH | Columbus pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $78,150 | $82,584 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $122,340 | $129,282 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $81,700 | $86,336 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,900 | $88,661 (−31.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.