City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Des Moines, IA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 10.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $110,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,109 in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,922 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.5% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Des Moines, IA ($124,085 → $107,301), while prices change by −9.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.9% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Des Moines, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 91.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,896 in Des Moines | $110,016 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,109/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,820 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 84.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 84.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 92.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 91.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
Des Moines, IA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,922/yr.
40 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Des Moines, IA is in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Des Moines, IA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Des Moines, IA | Real change, Bakersfield → Des Moines |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,223 | −4.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,284 | −4.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,234 | −4.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $107,301 | −4.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,797 | −4.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Des Moines, IA | Des Moines pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,650 | $67,825 (−15.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $126,460 | $139,127 (+6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,290 | $87,232 (+9.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $78,630 | $86,506 (−32.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.