Can you afford to live in Bakersfield?
Median household income, home values and rent in Bakersfield, CA — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.
What it costs to live in Bakersfield.
Median household income: $77,397 — +35.6% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)
Median gross rent: $1,371/mo — +39.5% since 2015
Median home value, 2015 to 2023
- 2015: 199600
- 2023: 347300
Median household income
- Bakersfield: 77397
- Kern County: 67660
- CA: 96334
- U.S.: 78538
Median gross rent
- Bakersfield: 1371
- Kern County: 1220
- CA: 1956
- U.S.: 1348
Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 32.3% — U.S.: 30.2%
What it means
Households here earn about what households nationally earn ($77,397 versus $78,538).
The typical renter here spends 32.3% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.
Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+39.5% versus +35.6%), before adjusting for inflation.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — Population, income, housing, education, commuting and poverty figures
- Census Bureau API — ACS Detailed Tables — The endpoint these pages are generated from
- data.census.gov — Look up the same tables for any place yourself
- ACS accuracy statement — Estimates carry margins of error; small places vary the most
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