City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Springfield, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bakersfield, CA are 13.9% higher than in Springfield, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MO would need about $113,900 in Bakersfield, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,140 a month in Bakersfield, CA versus $883 in Springfield, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Bakersfield, CA and 14% in Springfield, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,308 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Springfield, MO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Springfield, MO ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −12.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.3% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Springfield, MO: price level 88.6 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 88.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,807 in Springfield | $113,886 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $883/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 14% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $45,780 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Springfield, MO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Springfield, MO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 65.6 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 94.2 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 85.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 93.0 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 88.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Springfield, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.9%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$1,308/yr.
100 Strong offer
Springfield, MO → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,308/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Springfield, MO is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Springfield, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MO | Real change, Bakersfield → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −2.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −2.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −2.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −2.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −2.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Springfield, MO | Springfield pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $49,380 | $56,237 (−29.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $102,350 | $116,562 (−10.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $73,020 | $83,160 (+4.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $79,370 | $90,391 (−29.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.