City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Reno, NV (101.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $100,100 in Reno, NV.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,489 a month in Reno, NV versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Reno, NV and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Reno, NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Reno, NV ($124,085 → $106,855), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,127 in Reno | $99,873 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Reno, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
Reno, NV → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Reno, NV | Real change, Bakersfield → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,965 | −14.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,972 | −14.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,859 | −14.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,855 | −14.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,271 | −14.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $62,430 | $62,351 (−22.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $125,710 | $125,551 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $82,370 | $82,266 (+3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $107,520 | $107,384 (−16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.