City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Indianapolis, IN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 5.4% higher than in Indianapolis, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in Indianapolis, IN would need about $105,400 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,267 a month in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Indianapolis, IN and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,150 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Indianapolis, IN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Indianapolis, IN ($124,085 → $107,428), while prices change by −5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Indianapolis, IN: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Indianapolis, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,856 in Indianapolis | $105,423 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,267/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,921 (IN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,340 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Indianapolis-Carmel, IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 88.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 86.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.1 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Indianapolis, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,150/yr.
86 Strong offer
Indianapolis, IN → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,150/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Indianapolis, IN is in Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Indianapolis, IN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Indianapolis, IN | Real change, Bakersfield → Indianapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,297 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,374 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,341 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,428 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,947 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Indianapolis, IN | Indianapolis pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $60,510 | $63,792 (−20.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $106,870 | $112,666 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,290 | $83,590 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $84,230 | $88,798 (−31.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.