City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 3.1% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $103,100 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $5,070 a year in CA and $4,936 in VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Richmond, VA ($124,085 → $111,183), while prices change by −3.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,999 in Richmond | $103,094 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$135/yr.
78 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$135/yr.
59 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Bakersfield → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,475 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $78,009 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,499 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,183 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,385 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,290 | $63,186 (−20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $132,120 | $136,208 (+4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $84,220 | $86,826 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $93,580 | $96,476 (−25.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.