City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Bakersfield, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 9.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $109,800 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,114 a month in Augusta, GA and $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Augusta, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.6% moving from Augusta, GA to Bakersfield, CA ($106,437 → $124,085), while prices change by +9.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.2% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,774 in Bakersfield | $91,096 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,140/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $47,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Bakersfield-Delano, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 90.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
41 Weak offer
Bakersfield, CA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Bakersfield, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Bakersfield, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | Real change, Augusta → Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $71,957 | +6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $87,061 | +6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $104,349 | +6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $124,085 | +6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $146,632 | +6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Bakersfield, CA | Bakersfield pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $79,900 | $72,786 (+15.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $130,330 | $118,725 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $79,620 | $72,531 (−5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $128,810 | $117,341 (+33.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.