Are you considering moving to Bakersfield? This article is intended for those who are–we did some research to save you time. How big is Bakersfield? Bakersfield is a large city in southern California with about 365,000 people. Most of the residents are White or Hispanic, with about 8% African-Americans and 6% Asians. Bakersfield is an economic center and a transportation hub. The top industries are oil and agriculture. How much is housing? The median price for a home in Bakersfield is $210,000 and average rent is $888. There are also some small houses and condos for less than $180,000. For renters, there are small apartments like studios for $600 or less. How is the weather? As one might expect from its location, Bakersfield has hot weather during the summer season, with more than 100 days over 90 degrees. From May through September there is usually no rain, and annual rainfall is 6.5 inches. Winters are somewhat brief and cool, but with only a little precipitation. How are the schools? Bakersfield’s public schools are rated about average by Great Schools. For adults, Bakersfield College is a community college with about 17,400 students; Cerro Coso is also in the area but is about 70 miles away. Another community college is Porterville College, though it is also about a one hour drive from Bakersfield. Cal-State Bakersfield offers both bachelors and masters degrees and has about 8,000 students. Are there jobs? Some of the top employers: Kern County Grimmway Farms Bolthouse Farms Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield Kern Medical Center State Farm Insurance Sun World Chevron Clinica Sierra Vista AndrewsAg Paramount Farms Aera Energy Kaiser Permanente How is the food? Bakersfield has quite a range of cuisine; some of the top-rated restaurants are: Pita Paradise Nuestro Mexico Restaurant New Vintage Grill Cuban Cafe Moo Creamery Firestone Grill J’s Place Rubio’s Coastal Grill Crab In a Bag Paleteria y Neveria la Nueva Michoacana Valentien Temblor Brewing Company O Ramen Yamato Sushi & Bar Asada Grill Soy & Spice Cafe Hungry Hunter Steakhouse Shoyu Sushi Zatter Zacky Bakersfield Pizza Co & Bar Hummus Express Mama Roomba Cope’s Knotty Pine Cafe Woolworth Diner Cafe Smitten Claw Daddy’s Cajun Seafood Vatos Tacos Ben Paca Mexican Grill Muertos Kitchen & Lounge Jin Sushi Fuzion On Locale Farm to Table Eatery Fit Pantry Fuego’s Taco Shack and Grill New Taj Palace Indian Restaurant Oh! Noodles Asian Noodles & Grill Luigis Iguana’s Grill and Cantina Sushi N Grill Brazilian Acai Bowls Sushi Ko Tofu House Blue Elephant Zoey Brooke’s Gluten Free Bakery Grocery stores Vons Trader Joe’s WinCo Foods Sprouts Farmers Market ALDI Smart & Final Extra Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins Nature’s Food Market and Juice Bar All India Sweets and Grocery Carniceria La Carreta Albertsons Save Mart Foods Co Day & Night Market Masagna Oriental Market Mediterranean Grocery Royal Mark African Food Store Rainbow Market From the standpoint of food, moving to Bakersfield is not likely to disappoint, unless perhaps you are used to living in San Francisco or Los Angeles. Are there centers of worship? Here are some of the more popular ones: Renaissance Church High Definition Church The Bridge Bible Church RiverLakes Community Church Grace Bible Church New Life Church St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church Valley Bible Fellowship Plenty of Christian organizations are active in Bakersfield. There are also three Buddhist temples in the areas, one in each of the following cities or towns: Bakersfield, Maricopa and Tehachapi. Two synagogues serve the city as well: Temple Beth El and B’nai Jacob. Hindu Temple Kern County is in the area, and there are some meditation centers. Are there parks? Many parks are in this city, some of the top-rated ones are: The Park at River Walk Kern River Parkway Central Park at Mill Creek Beach Park Emerald Cover Park Centennial Park Hart Memorial Park Kroll Park Riverlakes Community Park Polo Community Park Silver Creek Park Jasto Park Madison Grover Park Fruitvale Norris Park Panoroma Park Yokuts Parks PinOak Park Is there access to nature? One big advantage of living in Bakersfield is its location near Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Los Padres National Park, Angeles National Forest, and Death Valley National Park. You can also drive up I-395 to Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine, Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. This area of the eastern Sierra has its own beauty, especially in summer and fall. Moving to Bakersfield could be a good idea for someone who enjoys nature and wants to visit some of the places mentioned above. What can you do there? Some things to do/places to visit: Kern County Museum California Area Living Museum Crystal Palace and Museum Kern River Parkway Trail Peacocks at Hart Park The Park at River walk Fox Theater Buena Vista Museum of Natural History Kern county Raceway Park Bakersfield Museum of Art Kern River Parkway Trail McMurtry Aquatic Center Is there storage in Bakersfield? Yes, we manage a storage property in this area and can answer any questions about your storage needs. Resources City government information for businesses and residents. So, after reading this article, are you still interested in moving to Bakersfield? What is near Bakersfield? Mammoth — 268 miles Santa Barbara — 146 miles Pismo Beach — 134 miles Santa Maria — 121 miles Los Angeles — 113 miles Image Credit: Bobak Ha’Eri, WikiCommons, CC BY 3.0