City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Canton, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 12.8% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $112,800 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Canton, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Canton, OH ($124,085 → $111,138), while prices change by −11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Canton, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 89.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,621 in Canton | $112,840 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $846/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $45,810 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Canton-Massillon, OH MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Canton-Massillon, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Canton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 58.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 96.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 89.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
100 Strong offer
Canton, OH → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Canton, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Canton, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Canton, OH | Real change, Bakersfield → Canton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,448 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,977 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,461 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,138 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,331 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Canton, OH | Canton pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,020 | $98,900 | $111,599 (+3.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $105,500 | $119,047 (−8.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $72,170 | $81,437 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $79,610 | $89,832 (−30.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.