Cost of Living in Bakersfield, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Bakersfield, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 422,165
- Median household income
- $82,093
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.9
- Unemployment rate
- 6.2%
Is Bakersfield a good place to live?
Bakersfield is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 156 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better.
A typical worker in Bakersfield keeps $1,191 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living1% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,440 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$898 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Bakersfield
Prices in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area run 1% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 58% above the US average.
- Housing10% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
- Utilities58% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,440 | $17,280 |
| Food | $519 | $6,228 |
| Transportation | $410 | $4,920 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $412 | $4,944 |
| Total before taxes | $3,134 | $37,608 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Bakersfield | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,428 | $1,265 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,440 | $1,273 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,872 | $1,656 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,591 | $2,293 |
| 4 bedrooms | $3,131 | $2,768 |
Living in Bakersfield
How Bakersfield compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Bakersfield | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,093 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $406,500 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,708 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 38.6% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 24.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 32.8 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 22.9 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.8% | 3.7% |
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Bakersfield, led by Applied Technology Group Inc, Spectrum, T-Mobile, unWired Broadband. Fiber reaches 31% of homes and 43.7% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Bakersfield
Pros and cons of living in Bakersfield
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 22.9 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.2%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Paychecks don't stretch far. A typical worker keeps $1,191 a year, less than in 156 of 178 large cities.
- Patchy fast internet. Only 43.7% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
What your job keeps in Bakersfield
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $47,470
- Federal income tax
- −$3,516
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,249
- State income tax
- −$898
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$17,280
- Everyday costs
- −$20,336
a year, or $99 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Bakersfield-Delano, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $128,810 | $52,268 |
| Project manager | $104,580 | $37,930 |
| Teacher | $88,003 | $28,025 |
| Accountant | $79,620 | $23,017 |
| Licensed practical nurse | $76,130 | $20,903 |
| Electrician | $75,860 | $20,739 |
| Social worker | $66,089 | $14,732 |
| Truck driver | $57,690 | $8,657 |
| Medical assistant | $46,560 | $518 |
| Nursing assistant | $46,130 | $194 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Bakersfield on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $12,135
- Carpenter $15,049
- Civil engineer $34,776
- Data scientist $30,533
- Dental assistant $1,652
- Dental hygienist $43,785
- Dentist $77,278
- Diesel mechanic $12,908
- Financial analyst $35,928
- Firefighter $18,632
- HVAC technician $14,953
- Lawyer $65,024
- Lineman $51,031
- Mechanical engineer $47,018
- Nurse practitioner $73,503
- Occupational therapist $49,028
- Paralegal $12,837
- Paramedic $16,581
- Pharmacist $71,394
- Pharmacy technician $1,659
- Physical therapist $50,350
- Physician assistant $93,106
- Plumber $14,989
- Police officer $22,124
- Radiologic technologist $34,722
- Respiratory therapist $36,843
- Software engineer $53,145
- Speech-language pathologist $45,560
- Veterinarian $64,955
- Welder $8,416
Compare Bakersfield with other cities
Compare Bakersfield with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Bakersfield
2 licensed interstate movers are based in Bakersfield, and 2 more elsewhere in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Bakersfield, CA a good place to live?
Bakersfield is one of the pricier places for a typical paycheck: a typical worker keeps less here than in 156 of 178 other large cities. Higher earners do better. The typical worker here earns $47,470 and keeps $1,191 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Bakersfield?
Prices in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,440 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,695 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Bakersfield?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $45,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area earns $47,470.
What is the average rent in Bakersfield?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,428 for a studio, $1,440 for a 1-bedroom and $1,872 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Bakersfield at $1,708 a month (2024).
Does Bakersfield have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $47,470, California state income tax comes to about $898 a year. Bakersfield has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Bakersfield?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Bakersfield, led by Applied Technology Group Inc, Spectrum, T-Mobile, unWired Broadband. 31% of homes can get fiber and 43.7% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate