City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Gainesville, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 4.3% higher than in Gainesville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Gainesville, FL would need about $104,300 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,246 a month in Gainesville, FL versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Gainesville, FL and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Gainesville, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Gainesville, FL ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Gainesville, FL: price level 96.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Gainesville, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,883 in Gainesville | $104,293 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,246/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $47,020 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Gainesville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Gainesville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Gainesville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 93.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 88.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Gainesville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
82 Strong offer
Gainesville, FL → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Gainesville, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Gainesville, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Gainesville, FL | Real change, Bakersfield → Gainesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $56,430 | $58,853 (−26.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $122,950 | $128,229 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $75,820 | $79,075 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $81,870 | $85,385 (−33.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.