City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Hagerstown, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 7.1% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $107,100 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Hagerstown, MD ($124,085 → $121,785), while prices change by −6.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Hagerstown, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 94.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,344 in Hagerstown | $107,131 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $961/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $47,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 75.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 95.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 94.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
91 Strong offer
Hagerstown, MD → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Hagerstown, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Hagerstown, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Hagerstown, MD | Real change, Bakersfield → Hagerstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $70,623 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $85,447 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $102,415 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $121,785 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $143,913 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Hagerstown, MD | Hagerstown pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $63,190 | $67,696 (−15.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $122,830 | $131,589 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $75,250 | $80,616 (+1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $92,770 | $99,385 (−22.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.