City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 3.9% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $103,900 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $5,277 in MN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.5% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Minneapolis, MN ($124,085 → $116,038), while prices change by +3.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,901 in Minneapolis | $96,245 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$206/yr.
57 Fair offer
Minneapolis, MN → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$206/yr.
81 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Bakersfield → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $67,290 | −10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $81,415 | −10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $97,582 | −10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $116,038 | −10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $137,123 | −10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $79,730 | $76,736 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $130,920 | $126,004 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $86,500 | $83,252 (+4.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $103,040 | $99,171 (−23.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.