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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Bakersfield

California · 174,820 residents · 150 sq mi
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The short version

Bakersfield is home to 174,820 people in California. There are 72,237 fewer people here than in 2000. Owners hold 55% of the housing stock. The median age is 29.8, younger than the US median of 33.0. Median household income is $32,154, close to the national figure. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 29.8
US median: 33.0
Average education
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
174,820
−29%vs 2000
vs 247,057 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
29.8
−1%vs 2000
vs 30.1 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
150 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
151K222K293K365K436K19902000201020202024Bakersfield
2024412K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 59.8%(17,175)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.4%(16,516)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.7%(13,458)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.7%(11,764)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.3%(12,820)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419.2%(33,584)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.4%(27,001)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.8%(15,420)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 646.4%(11,114)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 745.4%(9,453)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.7%(4,720)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1%(1,795)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$32,154
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $39,982 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,183
−20%vs 2000
vs $17,678 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
15.0%
−3.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 18.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$90,900
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $103,500 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$468
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $564 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
55.1%
−5.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 60.5% in 2000
44.9% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic72.8%(127,270)
Black9.4%(16,461)
Hispanic / Latino20%(35,033)
Asian3.7%(6,398)
Other14.1%(24,691)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.6%
+0.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 19.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
77.8%
+1.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 75.9% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.1%
−0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.4% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
17.1 min
+19%vs 2000
vs 14.3 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.4%
−10.8 ptssince 2013
from 18.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 49.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 8.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
12.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 11.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
36.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 34.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
55.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 57.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 42.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)31.9%(4,143)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.8%(2,700)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.6%(3,578)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.7%(475)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(96)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 12,982 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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BAKERSFIELD VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Bakersfield, California?

Bakersfield, California has about 174,820 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Bakersfield, California?

The typical household in Bakersfield, California earns about $32,154 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 $90,900, and the typical rent is about $468 a month.

How educated are people in Bakersfield, California?

About 19.6% 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 15.0% of people in Bakersfield, California live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →