City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs New Orleans, LA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 9.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $109,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,113 in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,457 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in New Orleans, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to New Orleans, LA ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.5% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | New Orleans, LA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 92.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,784 in New Orleans | $108,952 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,113/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,566 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $2,614 (LA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $47,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | New Orleans |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 86.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 71.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 95.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 92.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,457/yr.
97 Strong offer
New Orleans, LA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,457/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; New Orleans, LA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to New Orleans, LA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | New Orleans, LA | Real change, Bakersfield → New Orleans |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −6.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −6.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −6.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −6.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −6.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | New Orleans, LA | New Orleans pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $60,350 | $65,752 (−17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $106,950 | $116,524 (−10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $77,940 | $84,917 (+6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $81,850 | $89,177 (−30.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.