Bakersfield multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Bakersfield, and it is holding steady: asking rents are up 2.8% on a year, while jobs grew 0.2%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+2.8%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

+0.2%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

4.2%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 2.8% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 0.2% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Nothing is pulling hard either way in the latest figures (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 4.2% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were up 71% in 2025, more people moved out than in in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,479 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

See every figure behind this read

Open the live Bakersfield read →

We watch Bakersfield for you.

The day asking rent growth (now +2.8%) or job growth (now +0.2%) moves half a point, you get an email. Plus two years of history and the report.

Track Bakersfield, $39/month

Cancel anytime. Every market read stays free.

Common questions about Bakersfield

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Bakersfield rental market tight or soft right now?

In Bakersfield right now, landlords have the edge, and it is stable.

Which way is the Bakersfield market heading?

Bakersfield is stable right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Bakersfield a landlord's or a renter's market?

Bakersfield is a landlord's market right now: landlords have the edge, and it is stable.

What is the vacancy rate in Bakersfield?

Vacancy in Bakersfield is 4.2% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Bakersfield rents changed?

Asking rents in Bakersfield are up 2.8% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Ramkabir Motel housing project construction in central Bakersfield set to begin NovemberKGET.com

Eyeing grant opportunities, city seeks pro-housing designation from stateBakersfield.com

Bakersfield council sets aside $4 million to explore housing low-level offenders amid jail bed shortage23ABC News Bakersfield

Rents rise overall as vacancies fall in local apartment marketBakersfield.com

'Building their future': Local officials celebrate affordable housing, with some units reserved for farmworkersbakersfield.com

Analysis: City of Bakersfield has invested over $100M in affordable housing developments since 2000KGET.com

See all Bakersfield news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.
Methodology ↗ · All insights ↗