Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 422,165, settled in 1868. Home to 63 notable people.
Bakersfield earns a D−, 780th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of safety. Its crime rate is higher than 91% of U.S. towns, with 2,081 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it is more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns. 47% of working residents work locally in Bakersfield, against 6.6% in California’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. 2800 Acre Water Bank, at 2,905 acres with 8.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. The typical home is worth about $386K, 5.5 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income.
Where Bakersfield beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Kevin McCarthy| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Bakersfield College | 23,108 |
| California State University-Bakersfield | 8,308 |
Census counts: 801 in 1880, 403,455 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1932 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Bakersfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bakersfield, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bakersfield.
Bakersfield has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Reported crimes fell from 17,408 to 11,481 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Bakersfield’s violent crime rate is 4.9 per 1,000 residents. Bakersfield reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 91% report less. Bakersfield’s property crime rate is 22.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Three of its 122 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grow Public SchoolsLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 1,446 | – |
| Bakersfield HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 3,069 | A− |
| Ridgeview HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,575 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The median rent in Bakersfield is $1,472 a month. The typical Bakersfield home is worth about $386,000, about the same as a year ago, 49% below the California typical home. 61% of households own their home in Bakersfield.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 61% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 57% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
107 miles of trail in 80 parks and preserves.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.4% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 2800 Acre Water Bank | 8.9 mi | 2,905 |
| 2. Kern River Parkway Park | 4.6 mi | 1,155 |
| 3. City in the Hills Park | 1 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Bakersfield beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 25% of Bakersfield adults worry about having enough food.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Bakersfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.5% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Bakersfield Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 112 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 99.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.1°.
Bakersfield has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 99°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bakersfield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based in Bakersfield grew to 133,860 in 2023, 13,386 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Los Angeles (3%), Oildale (2%) and Shafter (2%). Half commute less than 7 miles.
| Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bakersfield. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
in town MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year
34 mi MuseumFort Tejon
28 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year10 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
in town MuseumBakersfield Museum of ArtDignity Health Arena: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Kern County Museum: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Tejon: Yellowute at English Wikipedia, Public domain · César E. Chávez National Monument: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Bakersfield Museum of Art: Skyman9999. Skyman9999, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Bakersfield
About 7 of every 100 Bakersfield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
347,483 counted in 2010 and 403,455 in 2020; an estimated 422,165 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
6 places in Bakersfield on the National Register of Historic Places.
63 notable people were born in Bakersfield.
City in California, United States
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about 151 sq mi (390 km2) near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population in the 2020 Census was 403,455, making it the 47th-most populous city in the United States and the 9th-most populous in California. The Bakersfield–Delano Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Kern County, had a 2020 census population of 909,235, making it the 62nd largest metropolitan area in the United States. Bakersfield is a significant hub for both agriculture and energy production. Kern County is California's most productiv…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Bakersfield.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | #780 | D− | D− | D | C | C |
| Rosedale | #301 | C+ | D− | — | B | A− |
| Greenacres | #370 | C | D | — | B | B− |
| East Niles | #813 | D− | C− | — | C− | D |
| La Cresta | #733 | D− | C− | — | C− | D |
| East Bakersfield | #775 | D− | C | — | C− | D− |
| Potomac Park | #773 | D− | C | — | C− | D− |
| Pumpkin Center | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Rosedale, Greenacres, East Niles, La Cresta, East Bakersfield and Potomac Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Pumpkin Center isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bakersfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bakersfield grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #780 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, D for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
63 notable people were born here, including Kevin McCarthy and Jonathan Davis.
