Median Age
33 Years
Largest Age Group
10-19 Years
Approximately 16% of Residents
Under 20
30%
Over 65
13%
Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA Area Guide
Avg Rent
$1,239
Population
402,171
Renter Mix
41% Rent
“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
Demographics
Median Household Income
$71,292
Average: $93,920
Education
74,378
Residents Have a Degree
Job Market
178,485
Workers Employed
Age Distribution
Get a sense of this area's population profile.
Housing Distribution
Bakersfield has more homeowners than renters.
Renters
41%
Non-Renters
59%
Education Distribution
Review this city's overall education levels.
Bachelor's or Higher
15%
Other Education
85%
Rent Trends
As of May 2026, the average apartment rent in Bakersfield, CA is $956 for a studio, $1,239 for one bedroom, $1,481 for two bedrooms, and $1,923 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Bakersfield has increased by 1.0% in the past year.
Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$1,239/month
641 Sq Ft
House
$2,364/month
1,474 Sq Ft
Townhome
$1,555/month
490 Sq Ft
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 - $1,923. You can expect to pay 5.5% more for groceries, 75.4% more for utilities, and 24.5% more for transportation.
Compare Cities
Getting Around
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Bakersfield, CA is for everyday living.
Fairly Walkable
Walkability
40
/ 100
Limited Public Transit
Transit
20
/ 100
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
90
/ 100
Somewhat Bikeable
Bikeability
30
/ 100
Scores provided by
Schools
Public
Grades K-5
732 Students
Public
Grades K-5
831 Students
Public
Grades K-5
699 Students
Public
Grades K-5
595 Students
Public
Grades K-5
709 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
986 Students
Public
Grades K-8
169 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
1,152 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
965 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
693 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
2,398 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
2,098 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
2,369 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
2,212 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
2,324 Students
School data provided by
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Points of Interest
Shopping Centers
Parks and Recreation
- Buena Vista Museum of Natural History
- Kern County Museum
Commuter Rail
Airports
- Meadows Field
Colleges
Top Apartments in Bakersfield
Houses for Rent in Bakersfield
Property Management Companies in Bakersfield, CA
Royal T Management
-
44
Communities
-
6,500
Units
-
5
Cities
19 Communities in Bakersfield
DGE Investments
-
48
Communities
-
8,541
Units
-
19
Cities
11 Communities in Bakersfield
AMC
-
609
Communities
-
122,046
Units
-
244
Cities
3 Communities in Bakersfield
CONAM Management Corporation
-
171
Communities
-
29,835
Units
-
86
Cities
3 Communities in Bakersfield
Winn Companies
-
155
Communities
-
27,068
Units
-
113
Cities
2 Communities in Bakersfield
Mashcole Property Management
-
53
Communities
-
2,525
Units
-
31
Cities
2 Communities in Bakersfield
Search Nearby Rentals
Nearby City Rentals
Nearby Neighborhood Rentals
Nearby House Rentals
Nearby City Guides
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.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.