Bakersfield vs Glendale
The short version
- Bakersfield is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Glendale area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $371,700 in Bakersfield and $387,500 in Glendale.
- Households earn more in Bakersfield ($80,540 vs $73,530 median).
- Glendale has the warmer winter: January highs of 65°F vs 59°F.
- Glendale has more scorching days: 176 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 112.
- Commutes are shorter in Bakersfield (24 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bakersfield, CA | Glendale, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 422,165 | 260,572 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.4% | +4.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,809 | 3,875 |
| Median age | 32.1 | 34.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $80,540 | $73,530 |
| Median home value | $371,700 | $387,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.6× | 5.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,472 | $1,528 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.9 | 103.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 90.3 | 121.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,700 | $77,500 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 57% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.6 | 27.7 |
| Work from home | 8% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 15.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 41° | 65° / 41° |
| July high / low | 98° / 71° | 105° / 80° |
| Precipitation per year | 6 in | 8 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 112 | 176 |
| Nights below freezing | 10 | 4 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.9 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +0.8% |
| 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: Bakersfield: February to May and October to November. Glendale: February to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Bakersfield weather by month and Glendale 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 $77,500 in Glendale. Moving from Bakersfield to Glendale, you would need about $76,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bakersfield and Glendale
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 Glendale.
Which would you pick?
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