Should I Move To
Bakersfield, California is home to about 404,321 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. The median renter pays around $1,283 a month against a typical household income of $73,827. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 32 out of 100 (grade F), putting it at #943 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Bakersfield's composite cost-of-living index lands at 102 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,283/mo against $73,827 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 21% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $320,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 96°F, winter averages around 41°F. Precipitation totals about 6 inches a year. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. Crime runs notably high by national standards. As always, neighborhood-level data tells a more nuanced story than the citywide figure. AQI is in the moderate range at about 70.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Bakersfield doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 32/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (68/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (0/100).
Bakersfield doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 36/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (68/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (0/100).
Bakersfield doesn't obviously fit remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 37/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (68/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (0/100).
Bakersfield doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 42/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (68/100); the soft spot is environmental quality (0/100).
Our overall score for Bakersfield is 32/100 — a F, sitting at #943 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Bakersfield sits at 102 — moderate, essentially matching the national average. Median renter pays around $1,283 a month.
Bakersfield runs hot-summer on the weather. Summer's near 96°F, winter's near 41°F; 6 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 68/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 404,321 people live here, with 23% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 32.
Drop Bakersfield into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Bakersfield with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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