City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Riverside, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Riverside, CA are 5.5% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $105,500 in Riverside, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,777 a month in Riverside, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Riverside, CA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $124,085 in either. A transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Riverside, CA changes real buying power by −5.2%, purely from prices.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Riverside, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 106.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,507 in Riverside | $94,780 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,777/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 29% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $48,400 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 129.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 101.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 106.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Riverside, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
47 Fair offer
Riverside, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Riverside, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Riverside, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → Riverside |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Riverside, CA | Riverside pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $98,520 | $93,378 (+16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $133,270 | $126,314 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $83,920 | $79,540 (−0.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $133,940 | $126,949 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.