City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 3.0% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $103,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Virginia Beach, VA ($124,085 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,081 in Virginia Beach | $103,007 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
78 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Bakersfield → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,640 | −10.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,788 | −10.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,838 | −10.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,019 | −10.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,646 | −10.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $63,380 | $65,286 (−18.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,090 | $132,972 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,450 | $81,839 (+2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $89,450 | $92,140 (−28.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.