City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Denver, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Denver, CO are 4.9% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $104,900 in Denver, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,754 a month in Denver, CO versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Denver, 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 Denver, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Denver, CO ($124,085 → $118,675), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Denver, CO: price level 105.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 105.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,853 in Denver | $95,372 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,754/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% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $62,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Denver-Aurora, CO |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 146.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 101.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 105.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Denver, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
50 Fair offer
Denver, CO → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Denver, CO is in Denver-Aurora, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Denver, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Denver, CO | Real change, Bakersfield → Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,819 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,265 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $99,800 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $118,675 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $140,239 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Denver, CO | Denver pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,910 | $73,350 (−8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $137,610 | $131,241 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $100,020 | $95,391 (+19.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $101,130 | $96,449 (−25.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.