City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 9.5% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $109,500 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to San Jose, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,453 in San Jose | $91,363 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
7 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Bakersfield → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $102,860 | $93,976 (+17.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $213,110 | $194,704 (+49.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $121,700 | $111,189 (+39.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $216,740 | $198,021 (+53.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.