Kern County · California
Bakersfield cost of living (CA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Bakersfield-Delano, CA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Bakersfield costs in line with the national average — all-items price level 100.9, rank 46 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,886 here. Utilities is the reason, at 158.3.
- All items
- 100.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 90.39.7% below the national average
- Goods
- 105.25.2% above the national average
- Other services
- 100.3in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 105.2 | +5.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 90.3 | -9.7% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 158.3 | +58.3% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 100.3 | +0.3% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Bakersfield, CA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $73,165
- Needed to match US average
- $74,467
- Monthly difference
- $55
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$73,813 median household income in Bakersfield is worth $73,165 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 100.9.
More Bakersfield data
Other Bakersfield datasets on this site.
- Bakersfield population and income
- Bakersfield sales tax rate
- Bakersfield property tax
- Bakersfield home values and rent
- Bakersfield crime rates
- Bakersfield public schools
- Bakersfield weather normals
- Bakersfield commute times
- Bakersfield jobs and wages
Statewide: California cities · California ZIP codes · California sales tax · California counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Bakersfield-Delano, CA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.