City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Kingsport, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 16.7% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $116,700 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Kingsport, TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Kingsport, TN ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.1% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Kingsport, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 86.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,688 in Kingsport | $116,703 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $818/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $45,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Kingsport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 56.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 75.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 86.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Kingsport, TN → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Kingsport, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Kingsport, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Kingsport, TN | Real change, Bakersfield → Kingsport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Kingsport, TN | Kingsport pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $58,130 | $67,839 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $115,310 | $134,570 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $75,940 | $88,624 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $76,730 | $89,546 (−30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.