City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 10.2% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $110,200 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Seattle, WA ($124,085 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,157 in Seattle | $90,780 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
29 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Bakersfield → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,373 | −12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,935 | −12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,602 | −12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $119,630 | −12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,367 | −12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $102,920 | $93,430 (+16.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $167,280 | $151,856 (+16.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $99,370 | $90,208 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $128,260 | $116,434 (−9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.