What’s the best part of Bakersfield? It could be where everyone knows their neighbor. Or it could be where home prices are the highest, meaning it’s where everyone wants to live.
Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Bakersfield are the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Whether you live in the sticks or in an apartment building downtown, you want a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood offers different perks and benefits.
Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Bakersfield neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?
If you’re thinking of moving to California and Bakersfield is on the top of your list, check out the best neighborhoods for 2026.
$87,700 median income · $333,500 median home value
$107,873 median income · $266,950 median home value
$95,003 median income · $333,500 median home value
$126,104 median income · $374,700 median home value
$147,447 median income · $398,100 median home value
$60,975 median income · $223,100 median home value
$95,285 median income · $269,567 median home value
$88,681 median income · $358,800 median home value
$99,613 median income · $277,450 median home value
$93,404 median income · $225,700 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $99,122
California statewide median: $774,582
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best Bakersfield, CA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in Bakersfield, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 39 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In Bakersfield.” We’re lookin’ at you, Artisan.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places Bakersfield, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Bakersfield.
The full plate
Table: Best Bakersfield neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artisan | 4,098 | $333,500 | $87,700 |
| 2 | Southern Oaks | 2,611 | $266,950 | $107,873 |
| 3 | Terra Vista | 3,585 | $333,500 | $95,003 |
| 4 | Stockdale Estates | 2,438 | $374,700 | $126,104 |
| 5 | Seven Oaks | 7,189 | $398,100 | $147,447 |
| 6 | Ridgeview Estates | 2,355 | $223,100 | $60,975 |
| 7 | Stone Meadows | 7,064 | $269,567 | $95,285 |
| 8 | Stonegate | 4,785 | $358,800 | $88,681 |
| 9 | Tevis Ranch | 3,776 | $277,450 | $99,613 |
| 10 | Haggin Oaks | 3,023 | $225,700 | $93,404 |
| 11 | The Oaks | 4,384 | $272,950 | $96,080 |
| 12 | Rio Bravo | 13,276 | $237,217 | $78,704 |
| 13 | Eastridge Estates | 309 | $280,600 | $76,362 |
| 14 | Laurelglen | 8,949 | $264,300 | $76,193 |
| 15 | Silver Creek | 7,430 | $240,500 | $80,548 |
| 16 | The Seasons | 5,870 | $235,550 | $79,906 |
| 17 | Amberton | 1,047 | $237,400 | $96,510 |
| 18 | Bakersfield Country Club | 6,400 | $217,700 | $74,729 |
| 19 | Sagepointe | 3,323 | $217,367 | $46,925 |
| 20 | Csu Bakersfield | 2,266 | $248,100 | $89,569 |
| 21 | Riviera-Westchester | 3,984 | $235,340 | $55,646 |
| 22 | Hillcrest | 6,222 | $156,860 | $49,091 |
| 23 | Spice Tract | 8,281 | $192,700 | $53,747 |
| 24 | Park Stockdale | 6,782 | $197,571 | $54,275 |
| 25 | Oleander Sunset | 14,490 | $172,633 | $45,981 |
| 26 | Quailwood | 2,317 | $226,900 | $64,169 |
| 27 | Castle Ranch | 2,903 | $113,500 | $54,089 |
| 28 | Stockdale Greens | 2,312 | $216,950 | $59,928 |
| 29 | Southgate | 8,146 | $133,317 | $34,096 |
| 30 | Benton Park | 9,020 | $155,000 | $45,384 |
| 31 | Tyner Homes | 4,430 | $205,900 | $51,074 |
| 32 | La Cresta-Altavista | 5,286 | $163,760 | $51,107 |
| 33 | College Heights-Baker Street | 7,703 | $66,500 | $24,460 |
| 34 | Casa Loma | 2,455 | $107,800 | $24,811 |
| 35 | Lakeview | 9,871 | $131,229 | $35,440 |
| 36 | East Bakersfield | 6,712 | $119,600 | $27,125 |
| 37 | Rexland Acres | 5,739 | $90,500 | $36,108 |
| 38 | Downtown | 2,187 | $165,400 | $23,223 |
| 39 | Homaker Park | 6,372 | $89,250 | $21,977 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 39 Bakersfield neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in Bakersfield
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in Bakersfield where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in Bakersfield are Artisan, Southern Oaks, Terra Vista, Stockdale Estates, Seven Oaks, Ridgeview Estates, Stone Meadows, Stonegate, Tevis Ranch, and Haggin Oaks.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Bakersfield aren’t all good. Homaker Park takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Bakersfield.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In Bakersfield FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in Bakersfield?
Artisan is the best neighborhood in Bakersfield for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Southern Oaks and Terra Vista are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in Bakersfield?
The best neighborhoods in Bakersfield are Artisan, Southern Oaks, Terra Vista, Stockdale Estates, Seven Oaks, Ridgeview Estates, Stone Meadows, Stonegate, Tevis Ranch, and Haggin Oaks. We ranked all 39 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Artisan?
The median household income in Artisan is $87,700 and the median home costs $333,500. The best blocks in Bakersfield rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank Bakersfield neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Artisan, takes the top spot.
Which Bakersfield neighborhood ranked last?
Homaker Park came in last of the 39 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in Bakersfield the numbers put it there.
