City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Hartford, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 1.8% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $101,800 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Hartford, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Hartford, CT ($124,085 → $120,094), while prices change by +1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Hartford, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,844 in Hartford | $98,190 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,477/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $59,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Hartford |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 110.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 144.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Hartford, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
63 Fair offer
Hartford, CT → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Hartford, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Hartford, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Hartford, CT | Real change, Bakersfield → Hartford |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,642 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,260 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,992 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,094 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,915 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Hartford, CT | Hartford pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $79,800 | $78,355 (−1.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $132,520 | $130,121 (−0.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $95,940 | $94,203 (+18.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $101,470 | $99,633 (−22.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.