USLivingCost Salaries · Rent · Cost of Living

Bakersfield, CA vs. Baltimore, MD

Median rent is $1,371 a month in Bakersfield, CA and $1,290 in Baltimore, MD. Household income is $77,397 against $59,623. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.

$
Same standard of living
A salary of $100,000 in Bakersfield, CA buys what $100,416 buys in Baltimore, MD
+$416 more to keep the same standard of living
Median gross rent Monthly
$1,371 $1,290 -5.9%
Median household income Annual
$77,397 $59,623 -23.0%
Median home value Owner-occupied
$347,300 $219,300 -36.9%
Rent as share of income Annual rent ÷ income
21.3% 26.0% 4.7 pp
Price level U.S. average = 100
102.2 102.7 +0.5%
Salary needed for median rent Keeps rent at 30% of gross
$54,800 $51,600 -5.8%
Rent median income carries at 30% Affordable rent
$1,935 $1,491 -22.9%
Population City proper
408,366 577,193 +41.3%
Equivalent salary For $100,000 in Bakersfield
$100,000 $100,416 +0.4%

A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.

What the gap means

Lower rent
$1,290
Baltimore, MD · 6.3% below Bakersfield, CA
Higher household income
$77,397
Bakersfield, CA · 29.8% above Baltimore, MD
Same standard of living
$100,416
$100,000 in Bakersfield, CA needs $100,416 in Baltimore, MD
Price level gap
0.4 points
102.2 in CA against 102.7 in MD
Rent burden gap
4.7 points
Baltimore, MD versus Bakersfield, CA, share of income taken by rent
Highest buying power
97.8%
Bakersfield, CA · share of the national average income that a dollar there buys

Occupation wages in both metros

May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.

Occupation Bakersfield, CA median Baltimore, MD median vs.
General and Operations Managers $104,460 $117,040 +12.0%
Retail Salespersons $36,320 $34,800 -4.2%
Registered Nurses $128,810 $99,550 -22.7%
Fast Food and Counter Workers $39,470 $33,090 -16.2%
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $42,490 $36,460 -14.2%
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $57,690 $59,460 +3.1%
Waiters and Waitresses $34,320 $36,170 +5.4%
Customer Service Representatives $47,310 $42,850 -9.4%

Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.

More comparisons with Bakersfield, CA

More comparisons with Baltimore, MD

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Definitions used on this page

Salary needed for the median rent
Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
Price level
BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
Same standard of living
A salary in Bakersfield, CA converted into Baltimore, MD at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
Buying power
One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.

Sources

Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.

Full detail for each city: Bakersfield, CA · Baltimore, MD