City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Fayetteville, NC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 9.7% higher than in Fayetteville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Fayetteville, NC would need about $109,700 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,113 in Fayetteville, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,589 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Fayetteville, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Fayetteville, NC ($124,085 → $111,147), while prices change by −8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Fayetteville, NC: price level 92.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Fayetteville, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 92.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,170 in Fayetteville | $109,685 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,113/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $45,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Fayetteville, NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 73.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 87.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 92.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Fayetteville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,589/yr.
99 Strong offer
Fayetteville, NC → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,589/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Fayetteville, NC is in Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Fayetteville, NC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Fayetteville, NC | Real change, Bakersfield → Fayetteville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,453 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,983 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,468 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,147 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,342 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Fayetteville, NC | Fayetteville pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $54,350 | $59,614 (−25.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $122,900 | $134,803 (+3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $78,560 | $86,168 (+8.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,060 | $91,104 (−29.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.