City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs San Luis Obispo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Luis Obispo, CA are 7.6% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $107,600 in San Luis Obispo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,914 a month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 31% of take-home pay in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA changes real buying power by −7.1%, purely from prices.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Luis Obispo, CA: price level 108.6 (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 Luis Obispo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 108.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,642 in San Luis Obispo | $92,900 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,914/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% | 31% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $50,770 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 144.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 147.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 108.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → San Luis Obispo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 31% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
San Luis Obispo, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
93 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 San Luis Obispo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,957 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $87,061 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $104,349 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $124,085 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $146,632 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Luis Obispo pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $97,620 | $90,689 (+13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $135,020 | $125,434 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $88,160 | $81,901 (+2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $138,820 | $128,964 (+0.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.