City comparison
Yes. Bakersfield's crime index is 148 versus 165 in St Petersburg, and its violent crime index is 152 versus 167, using 2024-2025 FBI data for Bakersfield and 2023 FBI data for St Petersburg.
Bakersfield is cheaper. Median rent is $1,472 a month versus $1,663 in St Petersburg.
Bakersfield and St Petersburg are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, and climate. Typical rent sits near $1,472 in Bakersfield and $1,663 in St Petersburg, and median household income lands at $80,540 versus $75,192. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.
Bakersfield is not a close call here. It leads on cost of living, the job market, and safety by margins that add up in daily life. St Petersburg makes sense if you have a specific reason, a job offer, family, or a neighborhood you already know, but on the numbers alone Bakersfield is the stronger move.
Visit both if you can. Cities reveal themselves in the ordinary moments, a Tuesday morning commute, a Saturday errand run, not on a weekend visit.
The move
Bakersfield and St Petersburg are 2,185 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,472 a month in Bakersfield to $1,663 a month in St Petersburg, up $191 a month (13%).
Median household income goes from $80,540 in Bakersfield to $75,192 in St Petersburg, down $5,348 (7%).
The crime index goes from 148 in Bakersfield to 165 in St Petersburg, up 17 points (11%).
The move
St Petersburg and Bakersfield are 2,185 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,663 a month in St Petersburg to $1,472 a month in Bakersfield, down $191 a month (11%).
Median household income goes from $75,192 in St Petersburg to $80,540 in Bakersfield, up $5,348 (7%).
The crime index goes from 165 in St Petersburg to 148 in Bakersfield, down 17 points (10%).
Bakersfield, CA
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
St Petersburg, FL
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Bakersfield and St Petersburg? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
11% cheaper
Bakersfield rent is 11% cheaper than St Petersburg
Bakersfield
Winner$1,472/mo
St Petersburg
$1,663/mo
Typical rent runs $1,472 a month in Bakersfield versus $1,663 in St Petersburg, so Bakersfield is 11% cheaper. A meaningful but not dramatic gap. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets. Over a year the spread is about $2,292, enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Bakersfield still wins on housing cost; just do not let a 10–20% rent edge override a job that only exists in St Petersburg.
Planning to buy in Bakersfield? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
7% higher
Bakersfield's median income is 7% higher than St Petersburg
Bakersfield
Winner$80,540
St Petersburg
$75,192
Median household income is $80,540 in Bakersfield versus $75,192 in St Petersburg, so typical pay runs 7% higher in Bakersfield (about $5,348 more household income a year). The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
10% lower crime
Bakersfield's crime index is 10% lower than St Petersburg
Bakersfield
Winner148 (100 = avg)
St Petersburg
165 (100 = avg)
Bakersfield's crime index is 148 versus 165 in St Petersburg (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 10% lower in Bakersfield. The difference is noticeable without being night-and-day. You will still want to pick the neighborhood carefully in Bakersfield, but you will usually spend less energy on constant vigilance than you would in St Petersburg. Tour both cities after dark before you let a modest index gap close the decision.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Bakersfield and St Petersburg are about even on typical weather.
Bakersfield
73°F avg · 87°F highs · comfort 100/100
St Petersburg
77°F avg · 82°F highs · comfort 100/100
Bakersfield averages about 73°F (87°F highs); St Petersburg averages about 77°F (82°F highs). Bakersfield sits near 73°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. St Petersburg sits near 77°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. On daily comfort these two are close enough that the better fit is whichever season you already know you can live with.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Bakersfield is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 11% cheaper here at about $1,472 a month. Choose Bakersfield if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Bakersfield is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 7% higher here ($80,540). Start with Bakersfield if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Bakersfield is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 10% lower than St Petersburg (148 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to St Petersburg
On these five categories Bakersfield takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose St Petersburg because the stats are kinder. They are not. Choose St Petersburg only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.
Bottom line
Rent is the clearest fork: Bakersfield at $1,472/month versus $1,663 in St Petersburg ($191 apart). St Petersburg median income is $75,192 against $80,540 in Bakersfield, so the cheaper lease does not always pair with the stronger local wage base.
Median income is $80,540 in Bakersfield versus $75,192 in St Petersburg.
Pick Bakersfield when shaving $191 off rent at $1,472/month is the priority. Otherwise, St Petersburg's case rests on $1,663/month rent with $75,192 local income.
With rent only $191 apart, neither city wins on housing alone — let income ($80,540 vs $75,192) and safety (48/100 vs 45/100) break the tie.
Common questions
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Nearby research
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