City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Omaha, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 9.8% higher than in Omaha, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Omaha, NE would need about $109,800 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,148 in Omaha, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Omaha, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Omaha, NE ($124,085 → $107,501), while prices change by −8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Omaha, NE: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Omaha, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 91.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,104 in Omaha | $109,765 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,148/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Omaha, NE-IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 86.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 76.4 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 91.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Omaha, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
99 Strong offer
Omaha, NE → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Omaha, NE is in Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Omaha, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Omaha, NE | Real change, Bakersfield → Omaha |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,339 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,425 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,402 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,501 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,033 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Omaha, NE | Omaha pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $62,670 | $68,790 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $125,220 | $137,448 (+5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $77,030 | $84,552 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $84,600 | $92,861 (−27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.