City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Palm Bay, FL (100.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,100 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.6% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Palm Bay, FL ($124,085 → $107,228), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,127 in Palm Bay | $100,881 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
Palm Bay, FL → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Bakersfield → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,181 | −12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,233 | −12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,173 | −12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,228 | −12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,711 | −12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $62,510 | $63,061 (−21.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $131,760 | $132,921 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $75,860 | $76,528 (−3.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $80,900 | $81,613 (−36.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.