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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-BAKERSFIELD-CA · Bakersfield, CA 408,366 pop · income 59th pct · 236 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Bakersfield
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Bakersfield on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Tulsa · lowest
58,407
Tulsa · lowest
58,407 median HH income
60.0% of the leader · rank #1
Hopewell Junc… · near
77,391
Hopewell Junc… · near
77,391 median HH income
79.5% of the leader · rank #2
Coral Terrace · near
77,396
Coral Terrace · near
77,396 median HH income
79.5% of the leader · rank #3
Bakersfield · this city
77,397
Bakersfield · this city
77,397 median HH income
79.5% of the leader · rank #4
Delmar · near
77,402
Delmar · near
77,402 median HH income
79.5% of the leader · rank #5
Clever · near
77,403
Clever · near
77,403 median HH income
79.5% of the leader · rank #6
Oakland · highest
97,369
Oakland · highest
97,369 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Bakersfield on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 408,366.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Bakersfield - the verdict
Nationally, Bakersfield sits in the 59th percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
59th
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
16th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield is a mid-sized U.S. city in California, home to 408,366 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Bakersfield report a median income of $77,397 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.4%. Home values in Bakersfield run a median of $347,300, and the median resident age is 31.9 years. About 23.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1,853 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Rapid Growth), up 26% from five years earlier. Bakersfield's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3024.4 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 66.2°F with 6.4 inches of precipitation per year and 0.1 inches of snowfall.
California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,053 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 88.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Bakersfield's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to within-city variation to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Bakersfield, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Bakersfield?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 146 public schools within the city match. 23.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What can 236 Census tracts reveal inside Bakersfield?
PlainCities matches 236 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Is Bakersfield growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +16,980 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,853 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Which cities make useful reference points for Bakersfield?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within California, the closest population matches are Oakland (438,072 residents, $97,369 income); Long Beach (458,491 residents, $83,969 income); Anaheim (344,553 residents, $90,583 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Tulsa, OK (412,322 residents); Wichita, KS (396,488 residents); Arlington, TX (394,769 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Bakersfield?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
4.5×
Home value
$347,300
Household income
$77,397
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What physical conditions frame life in Bakersfield?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 66.2°F, with 6.4 inches of precipitation and 0.1 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for California is 88.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
88.7
Annual precipitation
6.4 in
Mean temperature
66.2°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the journey to work look like in Bakersfield?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
80.4%
Work from home
7.1%
Public transit
0.5%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 169,658 workers age 16+.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Bakersfield?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3024.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 33% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
3024.4
Violent rate
554.6
Property rate
2469.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 12.4% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
F
City profile score · Bakersfield, CA
31/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income C
$77,397
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share D
23.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
555 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bakersfield profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 57/100 (C) · $77,397
Bachelor's+ share: 44/100 (D) · 23.3%
Poverty rate: 30/100 (F) · 12.4%
Violent crime: 13/100 (F) · 555 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Bakersfield sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Bakersfield's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Bakersfield highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Bakersfield, CA (this city): home $347,300, crime 3,024/100k
Tulsa, OK : home $189,600, crime 4,569/100k
Wichita, KS : home $179,500, crime 2,842/100k
Arlington, TX : home $276,400, crime 2,896/100k
Tampa, FL : home $375,300, crime 1,910/100k
Aurora, CO : home $444,500, crime 4,052/100k
Minneapolis, MN : home $345,600, crime 6,303/100k
Oakland, CA : home $924,700, crime 9,156/100k
Long Beach, CA : home $762,200, crime 4,155/100k
Anaheim, CA : home $771,700, crime 2,728/100k
Stockton, CA : home $412,900, crime 3,785/100k
Riverside, CA : home $542,100, crime 3,422/100k
Santa Ana, CA : home $657,800, crime 2,195/100k
How does Bakersfield compare to other US cities?
Bakersfield measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income59% higher than other cities
Home value71% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety16% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Bakersfield ranks #359 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Bakersfield against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Bakersfield near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bakersfield ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bakersfield only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#823 of 1,338
38th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#964 of 1,343
28th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#382 of 1,450
73rd percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#796 of 1,458
45th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
59th percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Bakersfield's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Bakersfield's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Bakersfield's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$347,30029th percentilemore affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Bakersfield's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,943 of 15,516
More affordable than 23% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#57 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 4.5×, Bakersfield sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,943 of 15,516 and #57 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$77,397Bakersfield, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Bakersfield, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Bakersfield, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)23.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
408,366
Median Income
$77,397
Median Home Value
$347,300
Median Age
31.9
Poverty Rate
12.4%
Labor force participation
58.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
23.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3024.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
554.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2469.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
66.2°F
Annual Precipitation
6.4"
Annual Snowfall
0.1"
Schools
Total Schools
146
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Bakersfield's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
405,185 residents
2021
409,522 residents
2022
412,848 residents
2023
415,043 residents
2024
419,344 residents
2025
422,165 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
1,853
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1,547
detached homes
Multifamily
306
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,472
1,419
53
$403.8M
2020
1,738
1,453
285
$443.8M
2021
1,162
1,121
41
$290.9M
2022
1,780
1,705
75
$514.7M
2023
1,471
1,411
60
$419.7M
2024
1,853
1,547
306
$489.3M
Permit volume increased 26% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
80.4%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
7.1%
Other
1.4%
Based on 169,658 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Bakersfield. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Bakersfield is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Bakersfield sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Bakersfield compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.