Residential comparison · 13 facts
Bakersfield, CA vs Ridgecrest, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Bakersfield needs about $81,000 in Ridgecrest to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Ridgecrest, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,000 in Bakersfield.
A few differences
- Ridgecrest is higher on median household income ($89,250 vs $80,540).
- Ridgecrest is lower on cost of living index (97 vs 107).
- Ridgecrest is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,080/mo vs $1,327/mo).
Bakersfield vs Ridgecrest · facet by facet
| Facet | Bakersfield, CA | Ridgecrest, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $371,700 | $253,900 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,327/mo | $1,080/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 107 | 97 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $80,540 | $89,250 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Bakersfield, CA · Ridgecrest, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Bakersfield cheaper than Ridgecrest?
- Ridgecrest has the lower day-to-day cost index (97 vs 107 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Ridgecrest equals $85,000 in Bakersfield?
- A household earning $85,000 in Bakersfield needs about $81,000 in Ridgecrest to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Ridgecrest lifestyle costs about $89,000 in Bakersfield.