City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Houston, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 2.3% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $102,300 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, 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 Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Houston, TX ($124,085 → $122,749), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Houston, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 98.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,763 in Houston | $102,288 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,323/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% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,410 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Houston-The Woodlands, TX |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 104.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 95.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 98.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
76 Strong offer
Houston, TX → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Houston, TX is in Houston-The Woodlands, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Houston, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Houston, TX | Real change, Bakersfield → Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $71,181 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $86,123 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $103,225 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $122,749 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $145,052 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Houston, TX | Houston pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $64,500 | $65,976 (−17.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $129,440 | $132,402 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $85,090 | $87,037 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $99,830 | $102,114 (−20.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.