Low Cost of Living
Opportunities are virtually unlimited. Kern has something for virtually every lifestyle and price range, whether you're in the market for a single-family home in a residential neighborhood or an isolated cabin atop a mountain.

Kern County housing is a bargain with a median price of $172,000. Compare that to San Francisco, where the cost of a typical home is $520,000. That would bring a Kern County buyer a 4,000-square-foot home and half an acre of land.

Rental properties are equally reasonable. Most rentals - apartments and homes - can be found in the $500 to $1,200 per month range depending upon size and location.

Kern continues to be one of the most affordable areas for home buyers in California. In fact, a recent survey identified Bakersfield as the most affordable city in California. The cost of a home in Bakersfield was 77 percent of the average price of 300 U.S. markets in the survey.

The real estate industry in Kern County is one of the most progressive in the state. In fact, some of the newest neighborhoods have recently received local, state, and national design awards. Additionally, the area has earned a reputation statewide for its residential building quality that exceeds the norm. Many of the newer homes are also designed to be some of the most energy efficient in the country.