Bakersfield

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Bakersfield, CA

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“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 2025, the average apartment rent in Bakersfield, CA is $948 for a studio, $1,190 for one bedroom, $1,425 for two bedrooms, and $1,852 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Bakersfield has increased by 1.9% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$1,190/month
639 Sq Ft
House
$2,367/month
1,554 Sq Ft
Townhome
$1,958/month
1,310 Sq Ft
See Rental Market Trends in Bakersfield, CA

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Bakersfield, CA is 11.8% higher than the national average. Generally, housing in Bakersfield is 2.2% more expensive than the national average, with rent falling between $948 - $1,852. You can expect to pay 4.8% more for groceries, 62.7% more for utilities, and 34.9% more for transportation.

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Transportation

48

Car-Dependent

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

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

22

Minimal Transit

out of 100 TransitScore® Rating

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

45

Somewhat Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

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

W. A. Kendrick Elementary

Public

Grades K-5

679 Students

9
out of 10

Ronald Reagan Elementary

Public

Grades K-6

897 Students

8
out of 10

Norris Elementary

Public

Grades K-6

860 Students

8
out of 10

William B. Bimat Elementary

Public

Grades K-6

515 Students

8
out of 10

Old River Elementary

Public

Grades K-6

867 Students

7
out of 10

Leon H. Ollivier Middle

Public

Grades 6-8

1,008 Students

7
out of 10

Earl Warren Junior High

Public

Grades 7-8

937 Students

7
out of 10

Rosedale Middle

Public

Grades 7-8

745 Students

7
out of 10

Freedom Middle

Public

Grades 7-8

698 Students

7
out of 10

Fruitvale Junior High

Public

Grades 7-8

652 Students

7
out of 10

Stockdale High

Public

Grades 9-12

2,298 Students

8
out of 10

Frontier High

Public

Grades 9-12

2,072 Students

8
out of 10

Liberty High

Public

Grades 9-12

2,358 Students

7
out of 10

Centennial High

Public

Grades 9-12

2,175 Students

7
out of 10

Ridgeview High

Public

Grades 9-12

2,688 Students

6
out of 10

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 2025.