Cost of Living in Bakersfield, CA

An Overview of Cost of Living in Bakersfield, CA

Knowing the cost of living in Bakersfield allows individuals to create a realistic budget. This helps them understand how their income will cover expenses and whether they need to make financial adjustments. The cost of living in any region can fluctuate due to various factors. To assess the cost of living consistently across different areas, a national average of 100 serves as the basis for the cost of living index. The cost of living in Bakersfield stands at 121, marking it 21% higher than the national average.

If affordability is among your top priorities when searching for a new place to live, this area may not be the ideal fit, as the cost of living in Bakersfield is among the most expensive in the United States. Just a minority of areas exhibit a cost of living at least 20% higher than the national average, and unfortunately, Bakersfield falls into this category, which may not align with your goal of finding a budget-friendly living environment.

When it comes to the cost of living in Bakersfield, housing costs are a real heavyweight, often hogging a significant chunk of your earnings. Sadly, in this area, housing expenses for both buying and renting were 33.6% more expensive compared to your average city. That means you'll be shelling out more for homes, rents, mortgage rates and insurance.

What Do Locals Say About the Cost of Living in Bakersfield?

When it comes to knowing a city, its residents are the experts. We conducted a survey with 39 locals to understand their opinions on the cost of living in Bakersfield. The results indicated that 44% found it reasonably priced with decreasing prices of goods and services, while 56% viewed it as quite expensive, with increasing prices.

Is Bakersfield Affordable?

Wondering if Bakersfield is affordable? It's a question that often comes up when you're thinking about a new city since affordability can really shape your decisions. The cost of living index (covered earlier), housing expenses and income levels all play a part in the affordability equation. In Bakersfield, for example, the median home price is 40.1% higher than what folks pay nationally, and monthly rent is 18.4% higher than the usual rates. Plus, income levels matter too, with Bakersfield boasting a median household income of $65,687, which is 18.7% higher than the national average.

What Factors can Influence the Cost of Living in Bakersfield?

Housing: Elevated demand for housing within coveted locales has the propensity to escalate both property values and rental rates, thereby serving as a primary catalyst for an augmented cost of living. Conversely, areas witnessing diminished housing demand, particularly within less desirable environs, often experience an inversely proportional effect, leading to price reductions and subsequently contributing to a more modest cost of living. In Bakersfield, the housing index is 33.6% higher than the national average.

Taxes: Locations with elevated tax rates, encompassing both sales and income taxes, can be a factor in driving up the cost of living. When you're paying more in taxes for everyday goods and services, it naturally translates into higher expenses. Similarly, a higher income tax rate can also contribute to an overall higher cost of living. In Bakersfield, the standard sales tax rate starts at 7.25%, and the income tax rates commence at 1%.

Urbanization: Urban areas with a wealth of amenities and employment opportunities tend to come with a higher price tag for living. Why? Well, more people want to be there, which drives up home prices and rents. On the flip side, less densely populated rural areas or places where there's not as much demand usually mean fewer attractions, things to do and slower job growth. That often results in a lower cost of living.

Where is the Data From?

The Bakersfield cost of living data displayed above is derived from the C2ER cost of living index to provide a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences in urban areas. The index takes into account data from 300 independent researches, covering more than 60 goods and services across 6 different categories, to create an overall index for each area, with 100 being the average. The C2ER index does not include sales or income tax rates in their data, however AreaVibes does include both income and sales tax rates in the overall cost of living score for each area.