City comparison
No. Bakersfield's crime index is 148 versus 200 in Colorado Springs, and its violent crime index is 152 versus 204, using 2024-2025 FBI data.
Bakersfield is cheaper. Median rent is $1,472 a month versus $1,648 in Colorado Springs.
Climate is the sharpest divide between Colorado Springs and Bakersfield. Colorado Springs averages 55°F while Bakersfield averages 73°F, a difference that affects utility bills, outdoor lifestyle, and how you feel nine months of the year. Rent runs $1,648 versus $1,472.
Bakersfield is not a close call here. It leads on cost of living, safety, and weather by margins that add up in daily life. Colorado Springs 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.
The crime gap is citywide. Bakersfield has rougher pockets and Colorado Springs has quiet ones: the index tells you the average, not your block.
The move
Colorado Springs and Bakersfield are 817 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,648 a month in Colorado Springs to $1,472 a month in Bakersfield, down $176 a month (11%).
Median household income goes from $84,818 in Colorado Springs to $80,540 in Bakersfield, down $4,278 (5%).
The crime index goes from 200 in Colorado Springs to 148 in Bakersfield, down 52 points (26%).
The move
Bakersfield and Colorado Springs are 817 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,472 a month in Bakersfield to $1,648 a month in Colorado Springs, up $176 a month (12%).
Median household income goes from $80,540 in Bakersfield to $84,818 in Colorado Springs, up $4,278 (5%).
The crime index goes from 148 in Bakersfield to 200 in Colorado Springs, up 52 points (35%).
Colorado Springs, CO
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Bakersfield, CA
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Colorado Springs and Bakersfield? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
11% cheaper
Bakersfield rent is 11% cheaper than Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs
$1,648/mo
Bakersfield
Winner$1,472/mo
Typical rent runs $1,472 a month in Bakersfield versus $1,648 in Colorado Springs, 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 $2,112, 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 Colorado Springs.
Planning to buy in Bakersfield? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
5% higher
Colorado Springs's median income is 5% higher than Bakersfield
Colorado Springs
Winner$84,818
Bakersfield
$80,540
Median household income is $84,818 in Colorado Springs versus $80,540 in Bakersfield, so typical pay runs 5% higher in Colorado Springs (about $4,278 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
26% lower crime
Bakersfield's crime index is 26% lower than Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs
200 (100 = avg)
Bakersfield
Winner148 (100 = avg)
Bakersfield's crime index is 148 versus 200 in Colorado Springs (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 26% lower in Bakersfield. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Bakersfield is the easier city. Colorado Springs can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
39% more comfortable
Bakersfield weather is 39% more comfortable than Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs
55°F avg · 63°F highs · comfort 72/100
Bakersfield
Winner73°F avg · 87°F highs · comfort 100/100
Colorado Springs averages about 55°F (63°F highs); Bakersfield averages about 73°F (87°F highs). Colorado Springs averages around 55°F, so jackets, heating bills, and shorter outdoor seasons are part of daily life. Bakersfield sits near 73°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. Bakersfield scores 39% closer to the 65-80°F comfort band on this page, so it is the easier default for year-round outdoor errands and evenings. Choose Colorado Springs if you already prefer its hotter or cooler pattern and have budgeted for the AC or heating that comes with it.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Colorado Springs is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 5% higher here ($84,818). Start with Colorado Springs if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Fit check
Outdoor enthusiasts and people who need year-round access to nature for their wellbeing
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.
Pick Bakersfield if you are an outdoor enthusiast or you need year-round access to nature for your wellbeing. Typical conditions (73°F) beat Colorado Springs on this page's weather index by 39%. Colorado Springs may pay more or cost less, but Bakersfield is the city where the forecast fights you less.
Bakersfield is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 26% lower than Colorado Springs (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.
Bottom line
Weather separates these metros: $1,472/month rent in Bakersfield at 73°F versus $1,648 in Colorado Springs at 55°F. Income runs $80,540 vs $84,818, but the daily feel of the move is the temperature gap.
With only $176 separating typical rent, run both offer letters before housing cost alone picks the city.
Typical rent stays $1,472 in Bakersfield and $1,648 in Colorado Springs.
Most movers who prioritize climate land in Bakersfield; Colorado Springs only makes sense when 55°F matches how you want to live year-round.
Common questions
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Open full neighborhood reports for Colorado Springs and Bakersfield, plus other cities in CO and CA.
