City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Reading, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 3.9% higher than in Reading, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Reading, PA would need about $103,900 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,000 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Reading, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.5% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Reading, PA ($124,085 → $117,284), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,208 in Reading | $103,942 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,237/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Reading, PA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Reading, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 85.4 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 108.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Reading, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$2,000/yr.
81 Strong offer
Reading, PA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,000/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Reading, PA is in Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Reading, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Reading, PA | Real change, Bakersfield → Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $68,013 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $82,289 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $98,630 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $117,284 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $138,595 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Reading, PA | Reading pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $79,860 | $83,008 (+3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $120,920 | $125,687 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $75,550 | $78,528 (−1.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $98,470 | $102,352 (−20.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.