City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Dallas, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Dallas, TX are 2.2% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $102,200 in Dallas, TX to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Dallas, TX and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Dallas, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.7% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Dallas, TX ($124,085 → $115,711), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.7% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Dallas, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 103.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,185 in Dallas | $97,862 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,648/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 117.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 102.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 90.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 103.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Dallas, TX
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
62 Fair offer
Dallas, TX → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Dallas, TX is in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Dallas, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Dallas, TX | Real change, Bakersfield → Dallas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $67,100 | −8.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $81,186 | −8.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $97,307 | −8.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $115,711 | −8.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $136,736 | −8.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Dallas, TX | Dallas pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $65,070 | $63,679 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $133,290 | $130,440 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $82,620 | $80,854 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $101,420 | $99,252 (−22.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.