Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 11,062.
East Bakersfield earns a D−, ranked 775th of 841 in California, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. The median household income is $39K, and 43% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 43% of residents live below the poverty line in East Bakersfield, above both the California town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 81 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. East Bakersfield's schools rank behind 77% of the state's.
Where East Bakersfield beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | East Bakersfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24.8% | 7.3% |
Where East Bakersfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far East Bakersfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 7 maps from 1906 on.
Explore the history →East Bakersfield is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 East Bakersfield.
East Bakersfield carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly earthquakes), has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
Only 9 of the 847 California towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than East Bakersfield. In East Bakersfield, a quarter of adults have been diagnosed with depression. This California town does better than the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 27.
| East Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | East Bakersfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.6% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 24.8% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
East Bakersfield has 287 jobs for its 2,551 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Since 2013, East Bakersfield has added 96 jobs, to 287 in 2023. Its mean commuting time comes in at 24 minutes. Most working residents leave East Bakersfield for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Bakersfield (36%), Los Angeles (4%) and Shafter (3%).
| East Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
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 99.5°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40°.
The January low for East Bakersfield comes to 40°F. Snow is a rarity.
| East Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 100°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 90% of California towns, with expected losses of about $262 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
East Bakersfield has had one paid flood insurance claim since 1993. Its FEMA risk score comes in at 55 of 100. Expected losses in East Bakersfield break down as 58% from earthquakes and 22% from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 3 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 97% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $2,369, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
18% of households own their home in East Bakersfield. Its rent at the middle of the market is $1,090 a month.
| East Bakersfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 18% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,090 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Bakersfield. Close and well known come first.
2 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
3 mi MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year
36 mi MuseumFort Tejon
25 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year6 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
2 mi 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 East Bakersfield
About 4 of every 100 East Bakersfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Place in California, United States
East Bakersfield is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California. As of the 2020 census, East Bakersfield had a population of 9,749.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with East Bakersfield.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Bakersfield | #775 | D− | C | — | C− | D− |
| Bakersfield | #780 | D− | D− | D | C | C |
| La Cresta | #733 | D− | C− | — | C− | D |
| Potomac Park | #773 | D− | C | — | C− | D− |
East Bakersfield, La Cresta and Potomac Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare East Bakersfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
East Bakersfield grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #775 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
The typical home is worth about $209,000, 73% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
