City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Columbus, GA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 13.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $113,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $503 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Columbus, GA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Columbus, GA ($124,085 → $112,556), while prices change by −11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 89.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,512 in Columbus | $112,979 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $939/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,613 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,567 (GA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $43,540 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Columbus, GA-AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 61.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 89.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$503/yr.
100 Strong offer
Columbus, GA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$503/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Columbus, GA is in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Columbus, GA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, GA | Real change, Bakersfield → Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $65,271 | +2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,972 | +2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $94,654 | +2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $112,556 | +2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $133,007 | +2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Columbus, GA | Columbus pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,360 | $69,324 (−13.2%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $116,150 | $131,225 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $73,640 | $83,198 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $82,500 | $93,208 (−27.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.