City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Lincoln, NE
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 10.2% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $110,200 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 $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Lincoln, NE.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Lincoln, NE ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Lincoln, NE | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 91.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,777 in Lincoln | $110,160 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $926/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,510 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,670 (NE) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 15% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Lincoln, NE.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 84.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 76.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 91.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
100 Strong offer
Lincoln, NE → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
40 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Lincoln, NE is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Lincoln, NE at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Lincoln, NE | Real change, Bakersfield → Lincoln |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −5.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −5.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −5.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −5.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −5.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $108,020 | $78,190 | $86,134 (−20.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $101,690 | $112,022 (−14.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $65,170 | $71,792 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $87,530 | $96,423 (−25.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.