Bakersfield

Meadows Field Airport is just three miles from downtown
Central Park at Mill Creek is home to the Bakersfield Museum of Art

Bakersfield, CA Area Guide

“Nashville West” earns its reputation as one of California’s most distinctive cities

College Music Mountains Nature

Positioned right where the San Joaquin Valley meets the Sierra Nevada, Bakersfield is a thriving community that wears its unique heritage on its sleeve. While one of California’s largest cities today, Bakersfield’s local character is heavily influenced by its agricultural background. Horse shows are popular, with many filling the calendar, and locals love to take advantage of the outlying landscape in off-road vehicles. Festivals throughout the year celebrate the city’s diverse cultural influences, including Native American, Basque, Greek, and Scottish events.

Musical traditions run deep in Bakersfield, and largely define the community. The city is nicknamed “Nashville West” for its tremendous output of country music over the years, with legendary hometown performers like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens popularizing the “Bakersfield Sound” from the 1960s forward and influencing generations of musicians in the process; today, the bars and venues of Downtown Bakersfield play host to musicians of all genres, continuing the city’s proud legacy.

Explore the City

Meadows Field Airport is just three miles from downtown

Central Park at Mill Creek is home to the Bakersfield Museum of Art

Rent Trends

As of March 2026, the average apartment rent in Bakersfield, CA is $956 for a studio, $1,221 for one bedroom, $1,461 for two bedrooms, and $1,901 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Bakersfield has increased by 1.4% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$1,221/month
641 Sq Ft
House
$2,364/month
1,450 Sq Ft
Condo
$1,095/month
400 Sq Ft
Townhome
$1,941/month
921 Sq Ft
See Rental Market Trends in Bakersfield, CA

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Bakersfield, CA is 9.7% higher than the national average. Generally, housing in Bakersfield is 2.8% less expensive than the national average, with rent falling between $956 - $1,901. You can expect to pay 5.5% more for groceries, 75.4% more for utilities, and 24.5% more for transportation.

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Getting Around

Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Bakersfield, CA is for everyday living.

Car-Dependent

48 / 100

This area is considered a car-dependent area and most errands will require a car.

Minimal Transit

22 / 100

You'll likely want a car when living in this area since it has few transit options.

Somewhat Bikeable

45 / 100

You might be able to find places to ride your bike in this area, but you’ll most likely want your car for most errands.

Schools

Highgate Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

W. A. Kendrick Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

Del Rio Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

Ronald Reagan Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

Shirley Lane Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

Stonecreek Junior High

Public

Grades 6-8

General Shafter Elementary

Public

Grades K-8

Earl Warren Junior High

Public

Grades 6-8

Fruitvale Junior High

Public

Grades 6-8

Downtown Elementary

Public

Grades K-8

Frontier High

Public

Grades 9-12

Stockdale High

Public

Grades 9-12

Liberty High

Public

Grades 9-12

Centennial High

Public

Grades 9-12

Independence High

Public

Grades 9-12

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Buena Vista Museum of Natural History
  • Kern County Museum

Commuter Rail

Airports

  • Meadows Field

Top Apartments in Bakersfield

Houses for Rent in Bakersfield

Property Management Companies in Bakersfield, CA

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.