Bakersfield, CA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Bakersfield, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Bakersfield →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Population in Bakersfield, California runs approximately 404,321. Median household income sits at $73,827, landing roughly in line with the benchmark median we track across cities (+2%).
For renters and buyers alike, Bakersfield offers a median home value of $320,600 (roughly in line with the tracked median, -2%) and median rent of $1,283 monthly. Local property taxes and current mortgage rates will shape the real cost of buying.
Home prices in Bakersfield run about 4.3× median household income — a middle-of-the-road ratio, neither a bargain nor a stretch by our tracked standards. Home values near Bakersfield rose 2% in the past year, a pace most would call steady rather than hot. Bakersfield carries a Relatively High hazard rating from FEMA — elevated risk that's typically reflected in higher insurance premiums.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,283/mo in Bakersfield would take 20.9% of your income.
$563/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($320,600) would take 27.8% of your income toward principal & interest.
$11/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Bakersfield
Median home value is $320,600 and median gross rent is $1,283/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Kern rose 2% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,483/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Bakersfield's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Bakersfield reported a violent crime rate of 495.7 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Bakersfield
Planning a move to Bakersfield? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Bakersfield, CA?
- Bakersfield's key cost-of-living figures: $320,600 median home value, $1,283 median monthly rent, and $73,827 median household income, per the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bakersfield?
- Comfortably affording rent in Bakersfield — where the median runs $1,283/month — typically means earning about $51,320 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Bakersfield.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Bakersfield?
- Bakersfield's median rent of $1,283/month translates to about $51,320 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $73,352 a year for principal and interest on the $320,600 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Bakersfield safe?
- In 2025, Bakersfield reported 495.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, according to FBI data.
See the full salary breakdown for Bakersfield →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Bakersfield's.