City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Portland, ME
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Portland, ME (101.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $101,000 in Portland, ME.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,658 a month in Portland, ME versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Portland, ME and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $584 a year higher in Portland, ME than in Bakersfield, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Portland, ME ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Portland, ME: price level 101.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Portland, ME | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 101.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,963 in Portland | $99,046 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,658/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,526 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,654 (ME) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 27% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $56,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Portland, ME HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Portland-South Portland, ME.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Portland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 105.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 134.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 103.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 101.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Portland, ME
Roughly even
Buying power −1.0%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$584/yr.
63 Fair offer
Portland, ME → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$584/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Portland, ME is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Portland, ME at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Portland, ME | Real change, Bakersfield → Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Portland, ME | Portland pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,770 | $76,037 (−4.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $128,710 | $127,482 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,790 | $79,029 (−0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $88,470 | $87,626 (−32.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.