City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Buffalo, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 5.3% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $105,300 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,139 in Buffalo, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,860 in NY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Buffalo, NY ($124,085 → $111,301), while prices change by −5.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Buffalo, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,002 in Buffalo | $105,261 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,139/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $50,790 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 81.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 129.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
85 Strong offer
Buffalo, NY → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
53 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Buffalo, NY is in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Buffalo, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Buffalo, NY | Real change, Bakersfield → Buffalo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,543 | −5.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,091 | −5.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,598 | −5.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,301 | −5.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,525 | −5.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Buffalo, NY | Buffalo pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,490 | $80,514 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $127,850 | $134,576 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $82,120 | $86,440 (+8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $99,060 | $104,271 (−19.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.