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METRO AREA

Bakersfield Metro

Bakersfield-Delano, CA · 1 counties · 927,068 residents (2025 est.) · 8,135 sq mi
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The short version

Bakersfield is home to 915,075 people. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. That puts it in the top 9% of US metro areas for household income. The median age is 32.7, younger than the US median of 38.9. 253,430 more people live here than in 2000. 19.1% of people across the metro live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $70,210, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Bakersfield

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share27.7% → 56.5% (+28.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share63.0% → 29.6% (−33.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree13.3% → 18.8% (+5.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 34 metro and micro areas based in California

  • 25th in household income$70,210
  • 28th in share with a bachelor's degree18.8%
  • 29th in home value$338,300
  • 15th in diversity score73.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
915,075
+38%since 2000
from 661,645 in 2000
927,068 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
112 / sq mi
+38%since 2000
from 81 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
32.7
+7%since 2000
from 30.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
8,135 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
506K618K729K841K952K19902000201020202024Bakersfield
2024915K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(64,206)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.9%(72,051)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.6%(78,795)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.9%(72,460)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247%(63,994)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.1%(138,030)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.5%(123,165)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.9%(99,927)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.3%(93,887)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.3%(67,254)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.3%(30,538)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(10,768)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,210
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,446 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,699
+88%since 2000
from $15,760 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.0%
+18.1 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.458
+1%since 2010
from 0.452 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing12.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Construction10.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance7.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services3.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Manufacturing2.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$338,300
+108%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,300
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 62.1% in 2000
39.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.12 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 3.11 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
29.6%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
−2%since 2009
from 4.9 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
29
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic49.5%(327,190)
Black5.7%(37,845)
Hispanic / Latino38.4%(254,036)
Asian3.2%(21,177)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic29.6%(270,456)
Black4.8%(43,987)
Hispanic / Latino56.5%(516,662)
Asian5.1%(46,223)
Other4.1%(37,747)
Diversity Score
73
−3%since 2009
from 76 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
47
−4%since 2020
from 49 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican50.4%(461,006)
Central American2.8%(25,325)
Salvadoran1.5%(14,137)
Guatemalan0.8%(7,363)
South American0.5%(4,792)
Puerto Rican0.5%(4,629)
Spaniard0.4%(3,410)
Honduran0.3%(2,486)
Peruvian0.2%(2,044)
Cuban0.2%(1,432)
Colombian0.1%(996)
Nicaraguan0.1%(617)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(521)
Venezuelan0.1%(514)
Ecuadorian0.1%(466)
Argentine0%(389)
Chilean0%(202)
Uruguayan0%(97)
Bolivian0%(34)
Asian origin
Filipino2.2%(19,684)
Asian Indian1.5%(13,983)
Chinese0.4%(3,635)
Vietnamese0.3%(2,908)
Korean0.2%(1,958)
Japanese0.1%(1,226)
Cambodian0.1%(1,014)
Pakistani0.1%(462)
Thai0%(342)
Laotian0%(296)
Hmong0%(259)
Burmese0%(221)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(155)
Indonesian0%(119)
Taiwanese0%(116)
Kazakh0%(30)
Malaysian0%(27)
Uzbek0%(27)
Mongolian0%(26)
Mien0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(2,388)
Samoan0.1%(578)
Chamorro0%(449)
Fijian0%(325)
Tongan0%(62)
Guamanian0%(38)
Ancestry
German5.7%(51,740)
English5.6%(50,850)
Irish4.8%(43,877)
American3.5%(31,638)
Italian1.9%(17,688)
Scottish1%(9,579)
French1%(8,974)
Arab0.7%(6,532)
Polish0.6%(5,332)
Dutch0.5%(4,499)
Norwegian0.5%(4,432)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.4%(3,984)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(3,535)
Portuguese0.4%(3,327)
Welsh0.3%(2,716)
Danish0.2%(2,047)
Russian0.2%(2,002)
British0.2%(1,916)
West Indian0.2%(1,653)
Greek0.2%(1,562)
Armenian0.2%(1,378)
Turkish0.2%(1,376)
Egyptian0.1%(1,227)
Hungarian0.1%(1,219)
Swiss0.1%(1,126)
French Canadian0.1%(1,036)
Czech0.1%(880)
Nigerian0.1%(876)
Ukrainian0.1%(755)
Canadian0.1%(684)
Syrian0.1%(629)
Palestinian0.1%(615)
Ghanaian0.1%(554)
Romanian0.1%(532)
Jamaican0.1%(473)
Lebanese0%(452)
Lithuanian0%(448)
Iranian0%(417)
Croatian0%(408)
Austrian0%(398)
Jordanian0%(374)
Finnish0%(365)
Haitian0%(237)
Belgian0%(212)
Brazilian0%(210)
Slovak0%(209)
Australian0%(183)
Latvian0%(166)
Slovene0%(146)
Moroccan0%(96)
Ethiopian0%(95)
Kenyan0%(90)
Serbian0%(68)
Bulgarian0%(30)
Israeli0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.8%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 13.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
77.0%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 68.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.4 min
+55%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 75.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.4%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% 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
7.5%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 12.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.3%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 63.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.9%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Female
49.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Foreign born
20.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 12.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.8%
−12.4 ptssince 2013
from 20.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+17.7 ptssince 2017
from 73.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.2%
+5.0 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.1%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 86.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
54.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2016
from 56.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
40.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 39.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43%(152,950)
Married47.2%(167,852)
Widowed2.2%(7,790)
Divorced7.7%(27,318)
Women 15+
Never married36.1%(124,122)
Married46.4%(159,779)
Widowed7.3%(25,109)
Divorced10.2%(35,103)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.8%
−12.4 ptssince 2013
from 20.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
42.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 44.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
8.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 8.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
40.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 39.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
50.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 51.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
50.3%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 48.7% 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)32.6%(10,371)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(7,186)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.7%(9,448)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.1%(997)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(189)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 31,813 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
Over time

Bakersfield, decade by decade

Bakersfield population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990543,477$68,724$197,76613.3%65.4
2000661,645$64,570$162,85613.5%75.3
2010839,631$67,741$312,31414.7%75.5
2020909,235$66,482$274,64817.1%74.8
2024915,075$70,210$338,30018.8%73.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

In this metro

Largest cities

BakersfieldCENTRAL422,165DelanoCENTRAL52,334Oildale34,687East Niles28,532Ridgecrest28,333Wasco26,525Shafter23,871Rosamond21,473Arvin19,820Rosedale18,877McFarland14,709California City13,300Lamont13,164Tehachapi11,852East Bakersfield11,062Hillcrest10,511Potomac Park10,138Golden Hills9,891La Cresta8,389Taft6,995Bear Valley Springs5,912Benton Park5,707Mojave5,173Greenacres4,906Ford City4,162Lake Isabella4,059Greenfield3,939Old Stine3,760Cottonwood CDP (Kern County)3,107South Taft2,939

The 30 most populous of 88 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Kern CountyCENTRAL927,068
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Bakersfield

Albuquerque
Pop 925,279
Baton Rouge
Pop 888,699
Columbia
Pop 879,918
Knoxville
Pop 968,137
Places similar to Bakersfield
Head to head

Compare Bakersfield side by side

BAKERSFIELD VS
Albuquerque
Income$71,241+1%
Home value$288,193−15%
Population925,279same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
Baton Rouge
Income$70,666+1%
Home value$240,565−29%
Population888,699−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
Columbia
Income$68,275−3%
Home value$232,186−31%
Population879,918−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAKERSFIELD VS
Knoxville
Income$72,472+3%
Home value$295,147−13%
Population968,137+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

Bakersfield-Delano, CA has about 915,075 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

The typical household in Bakersfield-Delano, CA earns about $70,210 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Bakersfield-Delano, CA expensive?

In Bakersfield-Delano, CA, the median home is worth about $338,300, and the typical rent is about $1,300 a month.

How educated are people in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

About 18.8% of adults age 25 and over in Bakersfield-Delano, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Bakersfield-Delano, CA?

About 19.1% of people in Bakersfield-Delano, CA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Bakersfield-Delano, CA grown since 1990?

Yes, Bakersfield-Delano, CA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 371,598 residents, a change of about 68 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →