Median rent is 16% lower in Kansas City ($1,238/mo vs $1,472/mo). Buying is cheaper in Kansas City, where the median home runs $242,900 versus $371,700. Households earn more in Bakersfield ($80,540 vs $69,166 a year).
City A
Bakersfield, CA
City B
Kansas City, MO
How much would you need to earn in Kansas City, MO to maintain your standard of living from Bakersfield, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Bakersfield
California
Kansas City
Missouri
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Kansas City at $1,238/mo compared to $1,472/mo in Bakersfield (16% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Bakersfield: the median home is $371,700 versus $242,900 in Kansas City — 35% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Bakersfield
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Kansas City
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Both cities have similar air quality: Bakersfield averages 57.0 AQI (Moderate) and Kansas City averages 57.0 AQI (Moderate).
Pick Bakersfield if you prioritize higher median household income ($80,540/yr).
Pick Kansas City if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,238/mo median).
Is Bakersfield cheaper than Kansas City?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Bakersfield vs Kansas City?
Median rent is $1,472/mo in Bakersfield, CA and $1,238/mo in Kansas City, MO. Kansas City, MO has the lower rent by about 16%.
Which has higher salaries — Bakersfield or Kansas City?
Median household income is $80,540 in Bakersfield, CA and $69,166 in Kansas City, MO. Bakersfield, CA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Kansas City, MO has better air quality on average: 57.0 AQI versus 57.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Bakersfield or Kansas City?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Kansas City to match my Bakersfield income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
