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CITY

Bakersfield

California · 422,165 residents (2025 est.) · 150.273 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#47Largest by populationof 4,896422,165
The short version

Bakersfield has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $80,540. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 67% since 2000. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $371,700. At a median age of 32.1, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 97%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
411,986
+67%since 2000
from 247,057 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,742 / sq mi
+33%since 2009
from 2,063 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.1
+7%since 2000
from 30.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:422,165 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
151K222K293K365K436K1990201020202024Bakersfield
2024412K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.3%(30,137)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98%(32,762)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.7%(35,946)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.8%(32,225)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.3%(29,983)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.4%(63,543)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.4%(55,225)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(45,646)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.7%(39,847)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747%(28,929)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.1%(12,968)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(4,775)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$80,540
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,982 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,405
+89%since 2000
from $17,678 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
53.0%
+19.8 ptssince 2009
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 18.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.449
+3%since 2010
from 0.438 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance8%
US avg: 5.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing7.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Professional, scientific, technical7.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade7%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade5.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Construction5.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Manufacturing2.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$371,700
+97%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $103,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,472
+43%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $564 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 60.5% in 2000
39.4% rent
Vacancy rate
4.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
28.8%
−11.3 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.6
−9%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Bakersfield on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.1%(126,183)
Black8.9%(21,987)
Hispanic / Latino32.5%(80,170)
Asian4.1%(10,239)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic27.6%(113,582)
Black5.7%(23,536)
Hispanic / Latino54.7%(225,254)
Asian7.8%(32,043)
Other4.3%(17,571)
Diversity Score
77
−4%since 2009
from 80 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican47.9%(197,216)
Central American3.3%(13,672)
Salvadoran2.1%(8,489)
South American0.8%(3,365)
Guatemalan0.8%(3,259)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,031)
Spaniard0.5%(1,891)
Peruvian0.4%(1,498)
Honduran0.3%(1,305)
Colombian0.2%(856)
Cuban0.2%(691)
Venezuelan0.1%(490)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(264)
Dominican0.1%(262)
Nicaraguan0%(141)
Uruguayan0%(97)
Chilean0%(60)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.2%(13,044)
Filipino2.5%(10,384)
Chinese0.6%(2,288)
Vietnamese0.5%(1,948)
Korean0.3%(1,441)
Cambodian0.2%(820)
Japanese0.2%(766)
Pakistani0.1%(402)
Thai0%(198)
Hmong0%(193)
Laotian0%(164)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(152)
Nepalese0%(131)
Indonesian0%(101)
Taiwanese0%(52)
Kazakh0%(30)
Uzbek0%(27)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,165)
Samoan0.1%(344)
Fijian0.1%(224)
Chamorro0%(183)
Tongan0%(23)
Ancestry
English5.8%(23,950)
German5.4%(22,438)
Irish4.4%(17,974)
American3%(12,301)
Italian2.2%(9,035)
Arab1.1%(4,562)
French0.9%(3,597)
Scottish0.8%(3,482)
Polish0.6%(2,397)
Norwegian0.5%(1,993)
Portuguese0.5%(1,884)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.4%(1,825)
Dutch0.4%(1,648)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(1,628)
Turkish0.3%(1,358)
Welsh0.3%(1,301)
Russian0.3%(1,272)
Egyptian0.3%(1,217)
British0.3%(1,160)
Danish0.2%(903)
West Indian0.2%(837)
Armenian0.2%(763)
Nigerian0.1%(519)
Greek0.1%(504)
Hungarian0.1%(460)
Swiss0.1%(457)
Romanian0.1%(432)
Ghanaian0.1%(424)
Ukrainian0.1%(410)
Jordanian0.1%(339)
Lithuanian0.1%(336)
Lebanese0.1%(312)
Iranian0.1%(307)
Palestinian0.1%(271)
Canadian0.1%(232)
Czech0.1%(230)
Austrian0%(173)
Croatian0%(163)
Syrian0%(160)
Jamaican0%(144)
Brazilian0%(124)
Belgian0%(100)
Moroccan0%(96)
Kenyan0%(90)
Slovak0%(77)
Slovene0%(70)
Ethiopian0%(60)
Serbian0%(52)
Finnish0%(34)
Israeli0%(13)
Haitian0%(12)
Latvian0%(9)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Central American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.6%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 19.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
81.8%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 75.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 6.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+65%since 2000
from 14.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.2%
+5.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.0%
−4.3 ptssince 2011
from 11.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 65.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
17.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
33.8%
−25.3 ptssince 2009
from 59.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
20.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.5%
−44.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.4%
−74.4 ptssince 2013
from 81.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.0%
+12.6 ptssince 2017
from 81.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
55.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2016
from 59.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
35.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2016
from 33.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married41.6%(63,497)
Married49.4%(75,350)
Widowed2%(3,002)
Divorced7%(10,644)
Women 15+
Never married36.7%(58,979)
Married45.5%(73,123)
Widowed6.8%(10,860)
Divorced11%(17,686)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Explore

Neighborhoods in Bakersfield

Benton ParkCampus ParkHomaker ParkLakeviewLaurelglenOleander SunsetPark StockdaleRio BravoSeven OaksSouthgateSpice TractStone MeadowsTerra VistaVillages of Brimhall - Brimhall ClassicsNeighborhoods in Bakersfield
Drill deeper

Places similar to Bakersfield

Minneapolis
Pop 430,324
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Pop 413,554
Arlington
Pop 402,134
Aurora
Pop 410,053
Places similar to Bakersfield
Head to head

Compare Bakersfield to nearby cities

BAKERSFIELD VS
La Cresta
Income$49,605−38%
Home value$262,000−30%
Population8,389−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
East Bakersfield
Income$38,644−52%
Home value$208,700−44%
Population11,062−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
Potomac Park
Income$51,166−36%
Home value$219,600−41%
Population10,138−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
Hillcrest
Income$46,285−43%
Home value$272,700−27%
Population10,511−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Bakersfield, California?

Bakersfield, California has about 411,986 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Bakersfield, California?

The typical household in Bakersfield, California earns about $80,540 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Bakersfield, California expensive?

In Bakersfield, California, the median home is worth about $371,700, and the typical rent is about $1,472 a month.

How educated are people in Bakersfield, California?

About 23.6% of adults age 25 and over in Bakersfield, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Bakersfield, California?

About 16.3% of people in Bakersfield, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Bakersfield, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Bakersfield, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 237,166 residents, a change of about 136 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Bakersfield, California: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy