Bakersfield metro, CA relocation guide
Moving to Bakersfield, CA
$434,900Median list
KernArea
Commuter-friendlyCommute profile
About Bakersfield
Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County and the anchor city of the Bakersfield-Delano metro (MSA #63). It is California's southern San Joaquin Valley hub — a large, spread-out city of more than 400,000 people (worldpopulationreview projected ~425,700 in 2026; the 2020 census count was smaller). The economy runs on agriculture, oil and gas, logistics/distribution, healthcare, and government; Bakersfield is famously the home of the "Bakersfield Sound" in country music and one of the most affordable large metros in California.
Home prices in Bakersfield
The median list in Bakersfield is $434,900.
Top places in Bakersfield
- Buck Owens' Crystal Palace — the late country star's legendary restaurant, music venue, and museum.
- Kern County Museum — 16 acres of historic buildings and the famous Bakersfield neon sign arch.
- California Living Museum (CALM) — native California wildlife rescue zoo.
- Downtown Bakersfield — Fox Theater, Mechanics Bank Theater and Arena, restaurants and nightlife.
- Kern River Parkway — miles of trails, parks, and river access along the Kern River.
- The Marketplace / Stockdale — major southwest shopping and dining area.
Commuting from Bakersfield
- Bakersfield is itself the region's main job center, so most local commutes are intra-city: downtown and the civic center (~10–20 minutes from most neighborhoods), the Meadows Field Airport area, the big distribution and manufacturing corridor along State Route 99 and Interstate 5, oil-field employment on the west side, and the medical corridor around Bakersfield Memorial and Kern Medical. Cross-town rush-hour drives of 25–35 minutes are common given the city's sprawl. (None of these drive times were independently timed.)
Bakersfield FAQs
- What is the housing market like in Bakersfield, CA?
The median list in Bakersfield is $434,900. Median listing price · Sep 2026 - How is the commute from Bakersfield, CA?
Bakersfield is itself the region's main job center, so most local commutes are intra-city: downtown and the civic center (~10–20 minutes from most neighborhoods), the Meadows Field Airport area, the big distribution and manufacturing corridor along State Route 99 and Interstate 5, oil-field employment on the west side, and the medical corridor around Bakersfield Memorial and Kern Medical. Cross-town rush-hour drives of 25–35 minutes are common given the city's sprawl. (None of these drive times were independently timed.)
Town links
Schools
Official town resources. School report cards via the National Center for Education Statistics.