City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 11.6% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $111,600 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Bakersfield, CA to New York, NY ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,574 in New York | $89,626 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | New York, NY | Real change, Bakersfield → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | New York, NY | New York pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $96,900 | $86,848 (+8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $166,830 | $149,523 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $105,650 | $94,690 (+18.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $119,720 | $107,301 (−16.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.