City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Milwaukee, WI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 4.1% higher than in Milwaukee, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Milwaukee, WI would need about $104,100 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,119 in Milwaukee, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Milwaukee, WI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.3% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Milwaukee, WI ($124,085 → $111,310), while prices change by −3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Milwaukee, WI: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Milwaukee, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,086 in Milwaukee | $104,074 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,119/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,261 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,919 (WI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,160 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.4 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Milwaukee, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
81 Strong offer
Milwaukee, WI → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Milwaukee, WI is in Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Milwaukee, WI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Real change, Bakersfield → Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,548 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,098 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,606 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,310 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,535 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,480 | $63,985 (−19.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $123,730 | $128,770 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $80,290 | $83,561 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $97,360 | $101,326 (−21.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.