City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 6.2% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $106,200 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 $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,071 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Lansing, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Lansing, MI ($124,085 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,157 in Lansing | $106,206 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,012/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% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$1,071/yr.
88 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,071/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Lansing, MI | Real change, Bakersfield → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,081 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $82,372 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $98,729 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $117,402 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $138,734 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $72,930 | $77,456 (−3.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $97,120 | $103,147 (−20.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,210 | $84,126 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $84,320 | $89,553 (−30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.