City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Davenport, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 13.3% higher than in Davenport, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Davenport, IA would need about $113,300 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 $928 in Davenport, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 15% in Davenport, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Davenport, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Davenport, IA ($124,085 → $108,137), while prices change by −11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Davenport, IA: price level 89.1 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Davenport, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 89.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,297 in Davenport | $113,255 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $928/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,148 (IA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $48,550 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Davenport-Moline, IA-IL |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 68.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.9 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 89.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Davenport, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
Davenport, IA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Davenport, IA is in Davenport-Moline, IA-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Davenport, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Davenport, IA | Real change, Bakersfield → Davenport |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,708 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,871 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,937 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,137 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,786 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Davenport, IA | Davenport pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,020 | $108,280 | $122,632 (+13.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $115,780 | $131,126 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $77,600 | $87,886 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $77,150 | $87,376 (−32.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.