Median rent is 14% lower in Pittsburgh ($1,261/mo vs $1,472/mo). Buying is cheaper in Pittsburgh, where the median home runs $205,800 versus $371,700. Households earn more in Bakersfield ($80,540 vs $65,742 a year).
City A
Bakersfield, CA
City B
Pittsburgh, PA
How much would you need to earn in Pittsburgh, PA 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
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
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 Pittsburgh at $1,261/mo compared to $1,472/mo in Bakersfield (14% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Bakersfield: the median home is $371,700 versus $205,800 in Pittsburgh — 45% 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
Pittsburgh
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Pittsburgh has cleaner air on average: 34.0 AQI (Good) compared to 57.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Bakersfield if you prioritize higher median household income ($80,540/yr).
Pick Pittsburgh if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,261/mo median).
Pick Pittsburgh if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 34.0).
Is Bakersfield cheaper than Pittsburgh?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Bakersfield vs Pittsburgh?
Median rent is $1,472/mo in Bakersfield, CA and $1,261/mo in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh, PA has the lower rent by about 14%.
Which has higher salaries — Bakersfield or Pittsburgh?
Median household income is $80,540 in Bakersfield, CA and $65,742 in Pittsburgh, PA. 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?
Pittsburgh, PA has better air quality on average: 34.0 AQI versus 57.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Bakersfield or Pittsburgh?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Pittsburgh 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
