Department of Numbers

This section of Department of Numbers is no longer being updated and may be removed in the future. The data here is out of date and should no longer be used.

Bakersfield, California Home Affordability

The data below measures home affordability for the Bakersfield-Delano, California metropolitan area using price-to-income and price-to-rent metrics.1 The maximum affordable loan amount for the median household income is also calculated. You can also compare Bakersfield home affordability to other cities.

Bakersfield, California Home Price-to-Income Ratios

The second chart shows a history of the ratio as an index calculated from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Bakersfield HPI series. Median household income data for Bakersfield is from the Census American Community Survey.

Price-to-Income Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Bakersfield, California Home Price-to-Income Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
December 2013 124.8
September 2013 121.8
June 2013 116.3
March 2013 110.5
December 2012 107.9
September 2012 105.5
June 2012 101.4
March 2012 100.3

Bakersfield, California Home Price-to-Rent Ratios

The chart below shows an index of the rent ratio calculated from the metro FHFA HPI series and the Bakersfield median contract rent data from the Census ACS.

Price-to-Rent Index Ratio: FHFA

Note: Index set to 100 in Q1 of 2000

Bakersfield, California Home Price-to-Rent Ratio History

Date FHFA (Index Ratio)
December 2013 95.9
September 2013 93.6
June 2013 89.4
March 2013 84.9
December 2012 82.9
September 2012 81.1
June 2012 77.9
March 2012 77.1

Bakersfield, California Inferred Affordable Mortgage

The inferred affordable mortgage value is determined by taking the median household income for Bakersfield, California and calculating the mortgage 30% of that income could afford. Traditionally, 30% of income is the maximum amount a homeowner could use towards a home loan. Inferred affordable loan values are calculated from ACS median household income and average monthly mortgage rates.

Inferred Affordable Mortgage

Bakersfield, California Inferred Affordable Mortgage History

Date Inferred Mortgage
February 2014 $231,928
January 2014 $228,392
December 2013 $227,587
November 2013 $233,033
October 2013 $234,985
September 2013 $226,787
August 2013 $227,587
July 2013 $230,014
June 2013 $238,389
May 2013 $254,331
April 2013 $257,194
March 2013 $253,388
February 2013 $254,647

1. Specifically, home prices are from the non seasonally adjusted FHFA all-transactions quarterly series. Dollar ratios are calculated using NAR metro prices when available. Rent and income data are from the Census ACS and are carried forward into the following year prior to release of the new data.