City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 6.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $106,500 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,177 in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.0% moving from Bakersfield, CA to San Antonio, TX ($124,085 → $108,001), while prices change by −6.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,884 in San Antonio | $106,514 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
89 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Bakersfield → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,629 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,776 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $90,823 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $108,001 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $127,624 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $61,720 | $65,741 (−17.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $128,430 | $136,796 (+5.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $78,650 | $83,773 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $94,370 | $100,517 (−22.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.