City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 7.8% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $107,800 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Scranton, PA ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,734 in Scranton | $107,835 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
93 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
46 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Bakersfield → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,590 | $82,591 (+3.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $119,960 | $129,359 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $70,480 | $76,002 (−4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $82,650 | $89,126 (−30.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.