City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Trenton, NJ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Trenton, NJ are 2.3% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $102,300 in Trenton, NJ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,545 a month in Trenton, NJ versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Trenton, NJ and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $890 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Trenton, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.1% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Trenton, NJ ($124,085 → $125,431), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Trenton, NJ: price level 103.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Trenton, NJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 103.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,274 in Trenton | $97,777 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,545/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,000 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,180 (NJ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $63,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Trenton-Princeton, NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Trenton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 135.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 112.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 103.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Trenton, NJ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$890/yr.
62 Fair offer
Trenton, NJ → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$890/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Trenton, NJ is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Trenton, NJ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Trenton, NJ | Real change, Bakersfield → Trenton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $72,737 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $88,005 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $105,481 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $125,431 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $148,222 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Trenton, NJ | Trenton pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $77,850 | $76,119 (−4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $128,770 | $125,907 (−3.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $99,550 | $97,337 (+22.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $99,990 | $97,767 (−24.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.