Cost of living in Bakersfield: rent, homes and salary
The cost of living in Bakersfield sits 0.9% above the US average. In 2024, regional price parity (RPP) figures from BEA put the Bakersfield, CA metro area at 100.9, the US at 100, and housing alone at 90.3.
- Overall prices
- 100.9US = 100, BEA 2024
- Price level for housing
- 90.3 for rents, US = 100.
Cost of living index for Bakersfield
A regional price parity compares the cost of one basket of goods and services in a place with the US average, which is set at 100. Bakersfield sits in the wider Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, which BEA prices as a single unit. Utilities sit furthest from the US average, at 158.3, a figure 58.3% above the US.
| Price level, US = 100 | Bakersfield, CA metro | California | Metro against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 100.9 | 110.7 | +0.9% |
| Goods | 105.2 | 106.1 | +5.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 90.3 | 154.3 | −9.7% |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 158.9 | +58.3% |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.6 | +0.3% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), 2024 regional price parities, broken out by metro area and state. BEA regional price parities
What rent costs in Bakersfield
Using the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), the typical asking rent in Bakersfield comes to $1,901 a month. That figure tracks rent for homes listed now and sits +3.1% compared with a year ago. In the US, the figure is $1,932. Census median gross rent comes to $1,708, and it counts every renting household, not only new leases. One year of the asking rent equals 28% of median household income.
| Rent | Bakersfield | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical asking rent, Zillow ZORI | $1,901 | $1,932 |
| Asking rent, 12-month change | +3.1% | |
| Median gross rent, Census ACS 2024 | $1,708 | $1,487 |
| Share of median income for one year of asking rent | 28% | 28% |
Zillow Observed Rent Index; one-year estimates from Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.
Prices of homes in Bakersfield
In September 2026, ZHVI (the Zillow Home Value Index) valued a typical Bakersfield home at $385,686. That figure covers a home in the middle of the market. Year over year, the change is 0%, against $366,157 for the US. A home takes 4.7 years of median household income, compared with 4.5 for the US.
| Home prices | Bakersfield | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value, September 2026 | $385,686 | $366,157 |
| 12-month change | 0% | +1.2% |
| 10-year change | +78.9% | +77.4% |
| Price to income (years of median income) | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Price to rent (years of asking rent) | 16.9 | 15.8 |
Price history back to 2000, the forecast plus days on market: Bakersfield housing market.
The salary needed to live in Bakersfield
To work out the Bakersfield salary that matches what your current pay buys, you answer two questions: where you live, and what you earn today.
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Every city side by side, plus the method: cost of living comparison.
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Bakersfield cost of living compared with other cities
| City | Overall prices | Housing | Typical rent level | Typical value of a home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 100.9 | 90.3 | $1,901 | $385,686 |
| Los Angeles | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,772 | $927,891 |
| San Diego | 111.9 | 179.3 | $3,004 | $980,490 |
| San Jose | 110.4 | 211.9 | $3,582 | $1,353,869 |
| San Francisco | 115.6 | 194.7 | $4,784 | $1,441,021 |
| Fresno | 102.2 | 95.7 | $1,945 | $384,885 |
| Sacramento | 106.7 | 130.2 | $2,045 | $470,552 |
| Long Beach | 113.6 | 170.4 | $2,412 | $852,391 |
| Oakland | 115.6 | 194.7 | $2,758 | $710,647 |
Price levels: BEA regional price parities, 2024, with US = 100. Rent figures: Zillow ZORI. Home value is Zillow ZHVI, September 2026.
All cities ranked: cost of living comparison. Each state: cost of living by state.