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.