City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Bakersfield, CA (100.9) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA goes as far as $99,500 in Spokane, WA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −13.8% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Spokane, WA ($124,085 → $106,991), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,465 in Spokane | $100,538 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
70 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Bakersfield → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $62,044 | −13.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $75,068 | −13.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,974 | −13.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,991 | −13.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $126,432 | −13.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $98,800 | $99,332 (+24.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $130,690 | $131,393 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $86,350 | $86,815 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $111,750 | $112,351 (−12.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.