City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Manchester, NH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 4.7% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $104,700 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,552 a month in Manchester, NH versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Manchester, NH and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Manchester, NH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Manchester, NH ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by +4.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 105.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,729 in Manchester | $95,484 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,552/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (NH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $56,530 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Manchester-Nashua, NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 134.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 133.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 105.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Manchester, NH
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
Manchester, NH → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
84 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Manchester, NH is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Manchester, NH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Manchester, NH | Real change, Bakersfield → Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Manchester, NH | Manchester pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $73,380 | $70,066 (−12.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $162,090 | $154,771 (+18.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $83,660 | $79,882 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $98,600 | $94,148 (−26.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.