City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 6.6% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $106,600 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.3% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Pittsburgh, PA ($124,085 → $110,047), while prices change by −6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,840 in Pittsburgh | $106,565 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
89 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
49 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Bakersfield → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $63,815 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,211 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $92,543 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $110,047 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $130,042 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,550 | $81,575 (+2.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $124,500 | $132,673 (+1.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $76,940 | $81,991 (+3.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $82,370 | $87,777 (−31.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.