City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bakersfield | Houston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,283/mo | $1,235/mo | 3.9% higher in A |
| Median home value | $320,600 | $235,000 | 36.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $73,827 | $60,440 | 22.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 97.7 | 6.5% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 106.5 | 17.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 97.3 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 90.9 | 14.5% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bakersfield, you'd need $96,264 in Houston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Houston, TX is about 3.7% cheaper overall than Bakersfield, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Houston than in Bakersfield. If you earn $80,000 in Bakersfield, you'd need about $77,011 in Houston to keep the same standard of living.