City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.0% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $110,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Bakersfield, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($124,085 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.6% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,987 in Urban Honolulu | $90,920 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
28 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Bakersfield, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Bakersfield → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,438 | −18.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,964 | −18.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,445 | −18.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,119 | −18.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,310 | −18.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $73,080 | $66,445 (−16.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $120,230 | $109,313 (−16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $74,990 | $68,181 (−14.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $139,260 | $126,616 (−1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.