City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Cleveland, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 7.4% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $107,400 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,103 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Cleveland, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Cleveland, OH ($124,085 → $111,138), while prices change by −6.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Cleveland, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,098 in Cleveland | $107,414 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,058/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $50,140 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Cleveland, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Cleveland |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 79.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 96.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,103/yr.
92 Strong offer
Cleveland, OH → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,103/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Cleveland, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Cleveland, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Cleveland, OH | Real change, Bakersfield → Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,448 | −3.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,977 | −3.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,461 | −3.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,138 | −3.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,331 | −3.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $76,470 | $82,139 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $111,310 | $119,562 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,000 | $85,931 (+7.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $83,940 | $90,163 (−30.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.