Bakersfield, CA

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Population

383,601

0.713% growth

Median Age

31.6


Median Household Income

$60,002

5.07% growth

Poverty Rate

19.2%


Number of Employees

166,626

6.74% growth

Median Property Value

$257,200

7.3% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Bakersfield, CA had a population of 384k people with a median age of 31.6 and a median household income of $60,002. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Bakersfield, CA grew from 380,887 to 383,601, a 0.713% increase and its median household income grew from $57,105 to $60,002, a 5.07% increase.

The population of Bakersfield, CA is 51.4% Hispanic or Latino, 32.3% White Alone, and 7.83% Black or African American Alone. N/A% of the people in Bakersfield, CA speak a non-English language, and 90.8% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Bakersfield, CA are Bakersfield College (2,456 degrees awarded in 2017), California State University-Bakersfield (1,935 degrees), and UEI College-Bakersfield (583 degrees).

The median property value in Bakersfield, CA is $257,200, and the homeownership rate is 59.2%. Most people in Bakersfield, CA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 21.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Bakersfield, CA is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Bakersfield Skyline, Bakersfield, CA

Photo by Robert Hale

United StatesCaliforniaKern County, CABakersfield, CA

Economy

The economy of Bakersfield, CA employs 167k people. The largest industries in Bakersfield, CA are Health Care & Social Assistance (27,408 people), Retail Trade (19,113 people), and Educational Services (18,159 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($105,744), Information ($75,139), and Public Administration ($72,475).

Median household income in Bakersfield, CA is $60,002. Males in Bakersfield, CA have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $62,298. The income inequality in Bakersfield, CA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.499, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$60,002

2018 value

± $4,223

5.07%

1 Year Growth

± 9.13%

Households in Bakersfield, CA have a median annual income of $60,002, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $57,105 in 2017, which represents a 5.07% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Bakersfield, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

$78,575

Average Male Salary

± $755

$62,298

Average Female Salary

± $633

In 2018, full-time male employees in California made 1.26 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $73,860 ± $1,174

  2. White

    $65,115 ± $611

  3. Two or More Races

    $54,912 ± $1,843

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of California workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.13 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Bakersfield, CA is from California.

0.499

2018 Wage GINI

0.497

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in California was 0.499 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.324% growth from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2018 the GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 28.11

  2. Census Tract 5.03

  3. Census Tract 38.06

In 2017, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Bakersfield, CA was Census Tract 28.11 with a value of $119,079, followed by Census Tract 5.03 and Census Tract 38.06, with respective values of $111,149 and $104,675.

The following map shows all of the places in Bakersfield, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

19.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Bakersfield, CA (70.8k out of 369k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females < 5.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    44,535 ± 1,860

  2. Hispanic

    43,818 ± 1,778

  3. Other

    10,486 ± 921

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Bakersfield, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

167k

2018 Value

± 8,272

6.74%

1 Year growth

± 6.47%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Bakersfield, CA grew at a rate of 6.74%, from 156k employees to 167k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Bakersfield, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (17,230 people), Sales & Related Occupations (16,007 people), and Management Occupations (14,741 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Bakersfield, CA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Bakersfield, CA, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (17,230 people), Sales & Related Occupations (16,007 people), and Management Occupations (14,741 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Bakersfield, CA has an unusually high number of residents working as Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (6.96 times higher than expected), Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors (1.8 times), and Healthcare Support Occupations (1.7 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Bakersfield, CA, by median earnings, are Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations ($113,015), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations ($92,358), and Law Enforcement Workers Including Supervisors ($91,155).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

167k

2018 Value

± 8,272

6.74%

1 Year growth

± 6.47%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Bakersfield, CA grew at a rate of 6.74%, from 156k employees to 167k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Bakersfield, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (27,408 people), Retail Trade (19,113 people), and Educational Services (18,159 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Bakersfield, CA, though some of these residents may live in Bakersfield, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Bakersfield, CA, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (27,408 people), Retail Trade (19,113 people), and Educational Services (18,159 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other places, Bakersfield, CA has an unusually high number of Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (7.73 times higher than expected), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (5.6 times), and Management of Companies & Enterprises (2.46 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Bakersfield, CA, by median earnings, are Utilities ($105,744), Information ($75,139), and Public Administration ($72,475).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Electronics

    $232B

  2. Mixed freight

    $172B

  3. Gasoline

    $136B

In 2015, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $232B, followed by Mixed freight ($172B) and Gasoline ($136B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound California products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for California state.

$1.7T

2020 Value

$2.48T

Projected 2045 Value

46.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound California trade was $1.7T. This is expected to increase 46.3% to $2.48T by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound California trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Texas

    $71.8B

  2. Arizona

    $46.9B

  3. Washington

    $34B

In 2015, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $71.8B, followed by Arizona with $46.9B and Washington and $34B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that California shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

92.6% of the population of Bakersfield, CA has health coverage, with 40.4% on employee plans, 35.1% on Medicaid, 7.23% on Medicare, 9.09% on non-group plans, and 0.796% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the place of Bakersfield, CA was $7,549 in 2014. This is a 4.04% increase from the previous year ($7,256).

Primary care physicians in Bakersfield, CA see 2037 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.294% decrease from the previous year (2043 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2117 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 614 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (10.6%). Additionally, Tulare County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (33.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kern County, CA.

2,037 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Kern County, CA see an average of 2,037 patients per year. This represents a 0.294% decrease from the previous year (2,043 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kern County, CA in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

$7,549

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,735

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,368

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,833

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in California (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.04%, from $7,256 to $7,549.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

7.36%

Uninsured

40.4%

Employer Coverage

35.1%

Medicaid

7.23%

Medicare

9.09%

Non-Group

0.796%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Bakersfield, CA grew by 5.66% from 6.96% to 7.36%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Bakersfield, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Tehama County

    10.6% prevalence

  2. San Joaquin County

    10.5% prevalence

  3. Alpine County

    10.3% prevalence

Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in California, at 10.6%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in California by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Bakersfield, CA is home to a population of 384k people, from which 90.8% are citizens. As of 2017, 18.3% of Bakersfield, CA residents were born outside of the country (69.6k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Bakersfield, CA is composed of 197k Hispanic or Latino residents (51.4%), 124k White Alone residents (32.3%), 30k Black or African American Alone residents (7.83%), 23.8k Asian Alone residents (6.19%), 5.63k Two or More Races residents (1.47%), 1.12k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.292%), 998 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.26%), and 963 Some Other Race Alone residents (0.251%).

Age

Age by Nativity

28

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.8

44

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.6

In 2018, the median age of all people in Bakersfield, CA was 31.6. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 28, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 44. But people in Bakersfield, CA are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Bakersfield, CA residents was 31.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

18.3%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

69.6k people

18.6%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

69.9k people

As of 2017, 18.3% of Bakersfield, CA residents (69.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Bakersfield, CA was 18.6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Bakersfield, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    4,032,642 ± 46,722 people

  2. Philippines

    840,765 ± 22,271 people

  3. China

    696,409 ± 20,307 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 4,032,642 California residents, followed by Philippines with 840,765 and China with 696,409.

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Citizenship

90.8%

2018 Citizenship

89.5%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 90.8% of Bakersfield, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Bakersfield, CA was 89.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Bakersfield, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. Hispanic or Latino

    197k ± 12.5k

  2. White Alone

    124k ± 7.23k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    30k ± 3.94k

In 2018, there were 1.59 times more Hispanic or Latino residents (197k people) in Bakersfield, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 124k White Alone and 30k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Bakersfield, CA as a share of the total population.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    5,178 ± 1,430

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    2,595 ± 951

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    2,437 ± 865

Bakersfield, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Bakersfield, CA awarded 5,643 degrees. The student population of Bakersfield, CA is skewed towards women, with 14,900 male students and 20,223 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Bakersfield, CA are Hispanic or Latino (3,259 and 58.9%), followed by White (1,390 and 25.1%), Black or African American (297 and 5.36%), and Asian (258 and 4.66%).

The largest universities in Bakersfield, CA by number of degrees awarded are Bakersfield College (2,456 and 43.5%), California State University-Bakersfield (1,935 and 34.3%), and UEI College-Bakersfield (583 and 10.3%).

The most popular majors in Bakersfield, CA are General Business Administration & Management (481 and 8.52%), Medical Assistant (386 and 6.84%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (319 and 5.65%).

The median tuition costs in Bakersfield, CA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $3,515 and $12,423 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    324 degrees awarded

  2. Liberal Arts & Sciences

    181 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    132 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Bakersfield, CA was General Business Administration & Management with 324 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Bakersfield, CA according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Bakersfield College

    2,456 degrees awarded

  2. California State University-Bakersfield

    1,935 degrees awarded

  3. UEI College-Bakersfield

    583 degrees awarded

$3,515

Median In-State Public

$N/A

Median Private

In 2017, the Bakersfield, CA institution with the largest number of graduating students was Bakersfield College with 2,456 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

1,912

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,731

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 1,912 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Bakersfield, CA, which is 0.512 times less than the 3,731 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Bakersfield, CA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. Hispanic or Latino

    3,259 degrees awarded

  2. White

    1,390 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    297 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Bakersfield, CA were to Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,259 degrees mean that there were 2.34 times more Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,390 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Bakersfield, CA was $257,200 in 2018, which is 1.12 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $239,700 to $257,200, a 7.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Bakersfield, CA is 59.2%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Bakersfield, CA have an average commute time of 21.8 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Bakersfield, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$257,200

2018 Median

± $7,874

$239,700

2017 Median

± $7,144

In 2018, the median property value in Bakersfield, CA grew to to $257,200 from the previous year's value of $239,700.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Bakersfield, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Bakersfield, CA the largest share of households have a property value in the $200k - $250k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,002

Median Household Income

± $4,223

122k

Number of Households

± 6,437

In 2018, the median household income of the 122k households in Bakersfield, CA grew to $60,002 from the previous year's value of $57,105.

The following chart displays the households in Bakersfield, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Bakersfield, CA distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Bakersfield, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

59.2%

2018 Homeownership

56.1%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 59.2% of the housing units in Bakersfield, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.1%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Bakersfield, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

21.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Bakersfield, CA have a shorter commute time (21.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.44% of the workforce in Bakersfield, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Bakersfield, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    82.7%

  2. Carpooled

    9.62%

  3. Worked At Home

    4.61%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Bakersfield, CA was Drove Alone (82.7%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.62%) and those who Worked At Home (4.61%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Bakersfield, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Bakersfield, CA have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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