City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Chicago, IL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 2.7% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $102,700 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $265 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Chicago, IL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.1% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Chicago, IL ($124,085 → $118,984), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,685 in Chicago | $97,385 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,581/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,375 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,805 (IL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $54,720 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 112.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 107.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 83.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$265/yr.
60 Fair offer
Chicago, IL → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$265/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Chicago, IL is in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Chicago, IL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Chicago, IL | Real change, Bakersfield → Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,999 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $83,482 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,059 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $118,984 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $140,604 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Chicago, IL | Chicago pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $78,390 | $76,340 (−4.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $134,380 | $130,866 (+0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $82,360 | $80,206 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $100,490 | $97,862 (−24.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.