City comparison
Bakersfield, CA vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 1.6% higher than in Bakersfield, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA would need about $101,600 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,140 in Bakersfield, CA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 18% in Bakersfield, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Bakersfield, CA than in Worcester, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.9% moving from Bakersfield, CA to Worcester, MA ($124,085 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Bakersfield, CA: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,623 in Worcester | $98,403 in Bakersfield |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,140/mo | $1,599/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% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,470 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Bakersfield-Delano, CA and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bakersfield | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 90.3 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bakersfield, CA → Worcester, MA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
63 Fair offer
Worcester, MA → Bakersfield, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bakersfield, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Bakersfield, CA to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bakersfield, CA | Worcester, MA | Real change, Bakersfield → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $69,905 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $84,579 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $101,375 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $120,548 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $142,452 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bakersfield, CA | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Bakersfield dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,900 | $82,810 | $81,488 (+2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $146,950 | $144,604 (+11.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,620 | $94,070 | $92,568 (+16.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,810 | $100,240 | $98,639 (−23.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.