City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Detroit, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Detroit, MI (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,400 in Detroit, MI.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,122 in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Detroit, MI ($124,085 → $117,402), while prices change by −0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,417 in Detroit | $100,586 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,122/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $52,080 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Detroit |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 94.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 98.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
71 Strong offer
Detroit, MI → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Detroit, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Detroit, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Detroit, MI | Real change, Bakersfield → Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,081 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $82,372 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $98,729 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $117,402 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $138,734 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Detroit, MI | Detroit pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $65,210 | $65,592 (−17.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $130,760 | $131,527 (+0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,650 | $81,123 (+1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $97,280 | $97,850 (−24.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.