Department of Numbers

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)
September 2011 103.2
June 2011 102.1
March 2011 107.2
December 2010 111.8
September 2010 112.7
June 2010 113.5
March 2010 116.8
December 2009 112.3
September 2009 113.9

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)
September 2011 80.2
June 2011 79.4
March 2011 83.3
December 2010 86.9
September 2010 87.6
June 2010 88.2
March 2010 90.8
December 2009 91.8
September 2009 93.2

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
November 2011 $238,675
October 2011 $236,385
September 2011 $235,252
August 2011 $230,799
July 2011 $223,305
June 2011 $224,353
May 2011 $220,974
April 2011 $215,923
March 2011 $215,923
February 2011 $213,219
January 2011 $217,922
December 2010 $219,186
November 2010 $229,978

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.