City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 4.0% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $104,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.6% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Rochester, NY ($124,085 → $107,182), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,183 in Rochester | $103,969 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
81 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Bakersfield → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,155 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,202 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,135 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,182 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,657 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $62,840 | $65,334 (−18.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $122,770 | $127,642 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,890 | $84,100 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $86,570 | $90,006 (−30.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.