Avondale vs Bakersfield
The short version
- Bakersfield is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Avondale area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $371,700 in Bakersfield and $394,600 in Avondale.
- Households earn more in Avondale ($86,123 vs $80,540 median).
- Avondale has the warmer winter: January highs of 66°F vs 59°F.
- Avondale has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 112.
- Avondale is growing faster: +13.1% since 2020 vs +4.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in Bakersfield (24 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Avondale, AZ | Bakersfield, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 100,983 | 422,165 |
| Growth since 2020 | +13.1% | +4.4% |
| People per square mile | 2,111 | 2,809 |
| Median age | 33.4 | 32.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $86,123 | $80,540 |
| Median home value | $394,600 | $371,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.6× | 4.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,832 | $1,472 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 100.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 121.2 | 90.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,500 | $75,700 |
| Homeowners | 62% | 61% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.1 | 23.6 |
| Work from home | 15% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.6% | 7% |
| Poverty rate | 10.9% | 16.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 66° / 43° | 59° / 41° |
| July high / low | 107° / 81° | 98° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 8 in | 6 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 173 | 112 |
| Nights below freezing | 7 | 10 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 98.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 18% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +35.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Avondale: November to April. Bakersfield: February to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Avondale weather by month and Bakersfield weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,500 in Avondale and $75,700 in Bakersfield. Moving from Avondale to Bakersfield, you would need about $73,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Avondale and Bakersfield
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Avondale and Bakersfield.
Which would you pick?
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