City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs San Diego, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Diego, CA are 10.9% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $110,900 in San Diego, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,459 a month in San Diego, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in San Diego, 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.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.0% moving from Bakersfield, CA to San Diego, CA ($124,085 → $121,585), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Diego, CA: price level 111.9 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | San Diego, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,904 in San Diego | $90,168 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,459/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% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $58,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 179.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 108.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 174.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → San Diego, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
16 Weak offer
San Diego, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Diego, CA is in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to San Diego, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | San Diego, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $70,507 | −11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $85,307 | −11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $102,246 | −11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $121,585 | −11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $143,677 | −11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | San Diego, CA | San Diego pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $97,000 | $87,463 (+9.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $163,270 | $147,217 (+13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $96,340 | $86,868 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $139,520 | $125,802 (−2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.