Photo: Jey0h · CC BY 3.0Measured against area pay, Buttonwillow costs more to live in than 65% of U.S. towns
Down 0.7% in a year, 70% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area ($70K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Bakersfield-area metro earn ($70K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 3.0 years of metro income, and 74% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $232Ktypical home, 70% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,280a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.0 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$70K, Bakersfield-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 74%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Buttonwillow
What’s behind Buttonwillow’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Buttonwillow is more affordable than 35% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with California: up 15.7% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 15.8% in five years
About the same pace as California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Buttonwillow | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $115,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $127,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $140,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $158,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $181,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $208,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $220,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $223,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $235,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $231,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $232,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Buttonwillow home worth $113K in October 2016 is worth about $232K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 19% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Buttonwillow’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Buttonwillow home, with $44K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,280 a month here, $90 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Buttonwillow’s typical property tax (0.82% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,280
Renters already here pay a median of $1,131, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,746, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.82% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Buttonwillow and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttonwillow | C | $232K | $214K | 0.82% | $1,280 |
Questions about the cost of living in Buttonwillow
Is Buttonwillow expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Buttonwillow costs more than 65% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.0 years of the median household income of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area ($70K).
How much does a house cost in Buttonwillow?
About $232K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 0.7% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Buttonwillow?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $59,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,370 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $51,000.
How much is rent in Buttonwillow?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,280 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,131 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Buttonwillow?
The median bill is $1,746 a year, 0.82% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Buttonwillow going up?
No: down 0.7% in the past year and 15.7% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Buttonwillow buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.