City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Kansas City, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 9.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $109,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kansas City, MO and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Kansas City, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.8% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Kansas City, MO ($124,085 → $108,173), while prices change by −8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 92.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,730 in Kansas City | $109,015 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,197/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $50,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Kansas City, MO-KS.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 86.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.4 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 92.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
97 Strong offer
Kansas City, MO → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Kansas City, MO is in Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Kansas City, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Kansas City, MO | Real change, Bakersfield → Kansas City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,729 | −5.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,897 | −5.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,968 | −5.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,173 | −5.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,829 | −5.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,060 | $66,565 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $124,990 | $136,258 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,040 | $87,256 (+9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,040 | $90,526 (−29.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.