City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Brownsville, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 17.3% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $117,300 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Brownsville, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Brownsville, TX ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −14.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.7% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Brownsville, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 86.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,220 in Brownsville | $117,343 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $866/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $36,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Brownsville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 57.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 86.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.3%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
Brownsville, TX → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Brownsville, TX is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Brownsville, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Brownsville, TX | Real change, Bakersfield → Brownsville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | +0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | +0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | +0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | +0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | +0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Brownsville, TX | Brownsville pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $63,350 | $74,337 (−7.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $106,990 | $125,546 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $66,440 | $77,963 (−2.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $81,090 | $95,154 (−26.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.