Bakersfield vs Denton
The short version
- Bakersfield is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Denton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $348,200 in Denton and $371,700 in Bakersfield.
- Households earn more in Bakersfield ($80,540 vs $76,019 median).
- Denton is growing faster: +21.1% since 2020 vs +4.4%.
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; California's top rate is 13.3%.
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Denton, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 422,165 | 169,431 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.4% | +21.1% |
| People per square mile | 2,809 | 1,748 |
| Median age | 32.1 | 31.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $80,540 | $76,019 |
| Median home value | $371,700 | $348,200 |
| Home value to income | 4.6× | 4.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,472 | $1,420 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.9 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 90.3 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,700 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.6 | 23.7 |
| Work from home | 8% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 41° | 56° / 32° |
| July high / low | 98° / 71° | 96° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 6 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 112 | 104 |
| Nights below freezing | 10 | 52 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.9 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +35.4% |
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: Bakersfield: February to May and October to November. Denton: March to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Bakersfield weather by month and Denton weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,700 in Bakersfield and $77,300 in Denton. Moving from Bakersfield to Denton, you would need about $76,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bakersfield and Denton
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Bakersfield and Denton.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.