Most of Bakersfield is in Kern County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $39.20 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 21 ZIP codes in Bakersfield with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,140 to $1,890 a month. At the middle rent, $1,270, a full-time job would need to pay $41.66 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93301 | Kern County | $1,140/mo | $36.34/hr |
| 93302 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93303 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93304 | Kern County | $1,210/mo | $39.20/hr |
| 93305 | Kern County | $1,170/mo | $37.56/hr |
| 93306 | Kern County | $1,300/mo | $42.91/hr |
| 93307 | Kern County | $1,180/mo | $37.97/hr |
| 93308 | Kern County | $1,370/mo | $45.84/hr |
| 93309 | Kern County | $1,380/mo | $46.26/hr |
| 93311 | Kern County | $1,860/mo | $66.44/hr |
| 93312 | Kern County | $1,890/mo | $67.74/hr |
| 93313 | Kern County | $1,850/mo | $66.01/hr |
| 93314 | Kern County | $1,890/mo | $67.74/hr |
| 93380 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93384 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93385 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93386 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93387 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93388 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93389 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
| 93390 | Kern County | $1,270/mo | $41.66/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Bakersfield needs to pay at least $39.20 an hour before taxes, about $81,540 a year. That is the figure for Kern County, where the typical studio rent is $1,210 a month.
Yes. Across the 21 ZIP codes in Bakersfield with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,140 to $1,890 a month. At the middle rent of $1,270, the pay needed would be $41.66 an hour.
The minimum wage in Kern County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.3 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads