City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Baltimore, MD
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 3.6% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $103,600 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $684 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Baltimore, MD ($124,085 → $121,785), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Baltimore, MD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 104.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,569 in Baltimore | $96,554 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,511/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,794 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,386 (MD) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $59,070 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Baltimore |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 118.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 102.4 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 110.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 104.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$684/yr.
58 Fair offer
Baltimore, MD → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$684/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Baltimore, MD is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Baltimore, MD at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Baltimore, MD | Real change, Bakersfield → Baltimore |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $70,623 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $85,447 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $102,415 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $121,785 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $143,913 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,400 | $73,767 (−7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $138,900 | $134,113 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $85,160 | $82,225 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $99,550 | $96,119 (−25.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.