City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 6.1% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $106,100 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in St. Louis, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.0% moving from Bakersfield, CA to St. Louis, MO ($124,085 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.7% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,253 in St. Louis | $106,098 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
88 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Bakersfield → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $63,288 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $76,573 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $91,779 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $109,137 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $128,967 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $60,650 | $64,348 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,030 | $136,898 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $78,880 | $83,690 (+5.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,180 | $88,252 (−31.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.