City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Boise City, ID
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 2.5% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $102,500 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $879 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Boise City, ID ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Boise City, ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 98.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,527 in Boise City | $102,536 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,381/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,988 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,192 (ID) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,100 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Boise City, ID.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Boise City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 105.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 70.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 98.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$879/yr.
77 Strong offer
Boise City, ID → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$879/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Boise City, ID is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Boise City, ID at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Boise City, ID | Real change, Bakersfield → Boise City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Boise City, ID | Boise City pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,230 | $62,783 (−21.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $131,590 | $134,927 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $76,700 | $78,645 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $97,880 | $100,362 (−22.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.