Kern County · California · West · 412k residents
Bakersfield, CA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Bakersfield: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,187/wk. California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%. Commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh.
Compare Bakersfield side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,187/wk
Corporate income tax
8.84%
Bachelor's degree or higher
23.6%
Commercial electricity
25.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Bakersfield's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
36/100
Steady
Ranks Bakersfield's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $371,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,088/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,327/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Corporate income tax | 8.84% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,187/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% |
| Commercial electricity | 25.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 32.6/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $130,330 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $128,810 |
| Wage: General manager | $104,460 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,310 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $39,070 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $57,690 |
| Wage: Electrician | $75,860 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $36,320 |
| Cost of living index | 107 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $80,540 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 412k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 42/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 97°F |
| January low | 39°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -0.3% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +2.3% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.2% |
| Building permits YoY | -11.1% |
| Ocean coast | 78 mi |
| Big lake | 256 mi |
| Mountains | 92 mi |
| Major airport | 90 mi |
| Ski resort | 108 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Delano, CA · 52k
- Porterville, CA · 63k
- Tulare, CA · 71k
- Visalia, CA · 144k
- Lancaster, CA · 169k
Similar size
- Oakland, CA · 439k
- Long Beach, CA · 456k
- Anaheim, CA · 345k
- Stockton, CA · 322k
- Riverside, CA · 319k
Real listings in Bakersfield
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Bakersfield a good place to run a business?
- California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,187/wk; commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Bakersfield, CA?
- Bakersfield indexes at 107 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,327/mo and a acs median home value of $371,700.
- How much does a house cost in Bakersfield?
- The acs median home value in Bakersfield is $371,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Bakersfield?
- A two-bedroom in Bakersfield rents for about $1,327/mo.