City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Fresno, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.3% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $101,300 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Fresno, CA ($124,085 → $106,973), while prices change by +1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.9% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Fresno, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,261 in Fresno | $98,755 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,355/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $46,910 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Fresno, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Fresno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 95.7 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 161.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.2%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
65 Fair offer
Fresno, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
73 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Fresno, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Fresno, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Fresno, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → Fresno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,033 | −14.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,055 | −14.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,959 | −14.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,973 | −14.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,410 | −14.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Fresno, CA | Fresno pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $78,800 | $77,819 (−2.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,060 | $127,453 (−2.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $78,690 | $77,710 (−2.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $125,420 | $123,858 (−3.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.