City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Huntsville, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 8.4% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $108,400 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,136 in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $335 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Huntsville, AL ($124,085 → $110,847), while prices change by −7.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,255 in Huntsville | $108,396 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,136/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,740 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Huntsville, AL MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Huntsville, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Huntsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 77.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 83.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$335/yr.
95 Strong offer
Huntsville, AL → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$335/yr.
45 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Huntsville, AL is in Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Huntsville, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Huntsville, AL | Real change, Bakersfield → Huntsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,279 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,772 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,216 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $110,847 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $130,987 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Huntsville, AL | Huntsville pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $62,250 | $67,476 (−15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $128,080 | $138,833 (+6.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,220 | $85,871 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $77,090 | $83,562 (−35.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.