RateHerald

No link on RateHerald pays us today. When some do, they'll say so, and they'll never change a ranking. How we make money

Bakersfield, CA Rent Affordability Calculator

The median rent in the Bakersfield, CA area is $1,300 a month including utilities, which takes 22% of the median household income ($70,210). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $52,000 a year.

On $70,000 a year, 30% of income is $1,750 a month for rent. A $1,300 rent takes 22.3% of gross income; many landlords want income of 40 times the rent, $52,000.

Rent you can afford
$1,750 a month
That rent takes
22.3% of income
Income a landlord may ask for (40× rent)
$52,000

Rent you can afford in Bakersfield, CA by income (30% rule)

IncomeAffordable rentAgainst the median rent
$40,000$1,000−23.1%
$60,000$1,50015.4%
$80,000$2,00053.8%
$100,000$2,50092.3%
$150,000$3,750188.5%

How this calculator works

Median gross rent and median household income for the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metropolitan area, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Affordable rent is 30% of gross monthly income.

What it assumes

  • Medians across all rentals, of every size and age; new listings usually ask more.

Questions people ask

What is the average rent in Bakersfield, CA?

The median gross rent is $1,300 a month, including utilities (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What salary do I need to live in Bakersfield, CA?

To rent at the median on 30% of income, about $52,000 a year; many landlords ask for 40 times the rent, $52,000.

Is rent affordable in Bakersfield, CA?

The median rent takes 22% of the median household income there, within the 30% guideline.

How does the cost of living in Bakersfield, CA compare?

Overall prices are 0.9% above the US average, and housing 9.7% below (BEA, 2024).

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Rent Affordability CalculatorThe rent your income supports under the 30% guideline, what a given rent takes of your pay, and the income landlords often ask for, with median rents in large metro areas.
  • Bakersfield, CA Cost of Living CalculatorPrices in the Bakersfield, CA area are 0.9% above the US average, and housing 9.7% below (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
  • Rent vs Buy CalculatorWhether buying or renting leaves you better off after the years you plan to stay, counting mortgage interest, tax, upkeep, selling costs and what a renter earns investing the down payment.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.