City comparison
Austin, TX vs Bakersfield, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 2.9% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,900 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.4% moving from Austin, TX to Bakersfield, CA ($109,428 → $124,085), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Bakersfield, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,876 in Bakersfield | $97,205 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,140/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $47,470 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Bakersfield-Delano, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 90.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
60 Fair offer
Bakersfield, CA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Bakersfield, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Bakersfield, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Bakersfield, CA | Real change, Austin → Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $71,957 | +10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $87,061 | +10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $104,349 | +10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $124,085 | +10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $146,632 | +10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Bakersfield, CA | Bakersfield pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $79,900 | $77,667 (+26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $130,330 | $126,687 (−5.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $79,620 | $77,394 (−6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $128,810 | $125,209 (+27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.