City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 5.0% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $105,000 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Springfield, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Springfield, MA ($124,085 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,217 in Springfield | $105,023 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
84 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Bakersfield → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,642 | +1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,260 | +1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $100,992 | +1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,094 | +1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $141,915 | +1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $79,640 | $83,640 (+4.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $127,740 | $134,156 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $92,010 | $96,632 (+21.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $98,410 | $103,353 (−19.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.