City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Ogden, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Ogden, UT (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,500 in Ogden, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Ogden, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Ogden, UT ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Ogden, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,468 in Ogden | $100,535 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,281/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $48,900 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Ogden, UT MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Ogden, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Ogden |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 78.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Ogden, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
70 Strong offer
Ogden, UT → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Ogden, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Ogden, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Ogden, UT | Real change, Bakersfield → Ogden |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −13.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −13.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −13.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −13.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −13.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Ogden, UT | Ogden pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $63,910 | $64,252 (−19.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $109,880 | $110,468 (−15.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $82,010 | $82,449 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $81,840 | $82,278 (−36.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.