Bakersfield vs Wasco
Bakersfield, California versus Wasco, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Wasco edges out Bakersfield on overall objective livability (54 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bakersfield | Wasco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $74k | $48k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $321k | $225k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $924 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.04% | 0.77% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.76% | 19.82% |
| Unemployment | 7.1% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 49°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.6 in | 7.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1 in | 0.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 303 days | 303 days |
| Summer Humidity | 52°F | 52°F |
| Comfortable Days | 103 days | 86 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.0 | 36.4 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.3 | 71.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1321/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 3978/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 404,321 | 26,317 |
| Median Age | 31.5 | 30.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.68 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.46 |
| Political Leaning | R+10 | R+10 |
| White (%) | 29.8% | 7.4% |
| Black (%) | 6.1% | 4.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 52.9% | 86.8% |
| Asian (%) | 7.3% | 0.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 1.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 13.0/20 | 8.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 101 mi | 126 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 74.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 5.94 | 13.68 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bakersfield or Wasco more affordable?
- Wasco has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Bakersfield's $50k and Wasco's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Bakersfield versus $924 in Wasco.
- Is Bakersfield or Wasco safer?
- Wasco has the lower violent crime rate. Bakersfield reports 1321/100k and Wasco reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bakersfield or Wasco?
- The median home value is $321k in Bakersfield and $225k in Wasco, so homes are more affordable in Wasco.