City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,300 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.6% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($124,085 → $113,356), while prices change by −0.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,348 in Port St. Lucie | $100,657 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
71 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Bakersfield → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $65,735 | −8.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $79,533 | −8.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $95,326 | −8.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $113,356 | −8.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $133,953 | −8.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $53,610 | $53,962 (−32.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $128,510 | $129,354 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $79,430 | $79,951 (+0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $82,090 | $82,629 (−35.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.