Health · Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA health

Bakersfield differs from California on 17 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (5.6% vs 6.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing a utility shut-off (11.5% vs 7.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Bakersfield

Report card

How Bakersfield compares with California

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Bakersfield adults…

31 of every 100 Bakersfield adults have high blood pressure

California: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 27.4–33.8%

Bars show Bakersfield; the black tick is California. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Bakersfield, betterBakersfield, worseToo close to callCalifornia

Get no exerciseshare of adults 29.7% Bakersfield
CA 24.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 38.4% Bakersfield
CA 35.1%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.9% Bakersfield
CA 15.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.4% Bakersfield
CA 10.9%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Bakersfield adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.

Yearly checkup

CA 72%

Dentist visit

CA 63%

Cholesterol check

CA 85%

Colon screening

CA 58%

Mammogram

CA 76%

Taking BP meds

CA 71%

1 in 7

working-age adults has no health insurance

Bakersfield 15.3% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)

Mind & connection

How Bakersfield adults are doing

1 in 3Bakersfield adults feel lonely

36.9% · California 37.3% · too close to call

1 in 4Bakersfield adults have been diagnosed with depression

22.7% · California 20.1% · too close to call

1 in 3Bakersfield adults lack social or emotional support

29.3% · California 28.6% · too close to call

1 in 5Bakersfield adults are in frequent mental distress

19.6% · California 16.4% · worse

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 4

Bakersfield adults worry about having enough food

25.2% · CA 17.9% · worse

1 in 5

Bakersfield adults worry about keeping their housing

20.7% · CA 14.9% · worse

1 in 9

Bakersfield adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

11.5% · CA 7.3% · worse

1 in 8

Bakersfield adults lack reliable transportation

13.3% · CA 9.3% · worse

24.1% of Bakersfield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Disability

Living with a disability

35%

of Bakersfield adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16%

Thinking or memory18.2%

Hearing5.9%

Errands alone10.1%

Vision7.7%

Dressing or bathing5%

Black tick: California. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Bakersfield

Bakersfield and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

30%44.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#5 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first

Rosedale30%

Bakersfield Country Club30.6%

Greenacres32.3%

Pumpkin Center33.3%

Bakersfield34.5%

Greenfield36.7%

Oildale37%

Fairfax37.5%

La Cresta38.5%

East Niles40.2%

Hillcrest41.1%

Potomac Park43%

East Bakersfield44.6%

Care nearby

Mercy HospitalBakersfield · 1.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Adventist Health BakersfieldBakersfield · 2.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Bakersfield Memorial HospitalBakersfield · 3.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Good Samaritan Hospital, LpBakersfield · 4.1 mi Directions Medicare profile

Family Health CenterBakersfield · 1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Omni Family HealthBakersfield · 1.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary carePart of Bakersfield is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MSSA 66a-Bakersfield Northeast/Oildale · need score 18 of 25

! Dental carePart of Bakersfield is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME/MSSA 66b- Bakersfield East/Lakeview/La Loma · need score 22 of 25

! Mental healthPart of Bakersfield is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MSSA 66a-d/Bakersfield · need score 17 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bakersfield. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Bakersfield

Measure	Bakersfield	Margin	California
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	30.6%	27.4–33.8%	30.5%	about the same
High cholesterol	32.2%	28.8–35.7%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	34.5%	29.3–40%	27.8%	worse
Arthritis	20.4%	18.1–22.7%	20.8%	about the same
Depression	22.7%	19.7–25.9%	20.1%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	14.1%	11.8–16.9%	10.6%	worse
Asthma	10.4%	9.2–11.6%	9.3%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	5.6%	5–6.1%	6.4%	better
Diabetes	12.4%	11–14%	11.7%	about the same
COPD	5.8%	5.3–6.4%	5.1%	worse
Heart disease	5.6%	5.1–6.2%	5.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.3%	3–3.5%	3.1%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.4%	11.8–15.1%	10.9%	worse
Binge drink	16.9%	14.2–19.9%	15.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	29.7%	26.1–33.4%	24.6%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	38.4%	33.5–43.7%	35.1%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	71.2%	67.6–74.8%	71.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	56.3%	53–59.7%	62.8%	worse
Cholesterol check	82.2%	80.3–84%	85.4%	worse
Colon screening	56.1%	51.4–60.8%	57.5%	about the same
Mammogram	74.6%	67.7–80.9%	75.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	67.8%	64.6–70.9%	71.3%	worse
No health insurance	15.3%	13.7–17%	10.6%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	36.9%	32.5–41.4%	37.3%	about the same
Lack emotional support	29.3%	25.9–32.9%	28.6%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19.6%	17.6–21.7%	16.4%	worse
Fair or poor health	25.9%	23.4–28.4%	22.1%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.1%	13.5–16.7%	13.4%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	25.2%	22.7–27.7%	17.9%	worse
Housing insecurity	20.7%	18.6–23%	14.9%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	11.5%	10.3–12.9%	7.3%	worse
No reliable transportation	13.3%	12–14.6%	9.3%	worse
Receive SNAP	24.1%	22–26.3%	15.6%
Disability
Any disability	35%	31.3–38.6%	30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs	16%	14.3–17.7%	13.8%
Thinking or memory	18.2%	16.5–20%	14.6%
Hearing	5.9%	5.3–6.6%	5.9%
Vision	7.7%	7.1–8.2%	5.6%
Dressing or bathing	5%	4.6–5.4%	3.9%
Errands alone	10.1%	9.2–11%	8.1%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Bakersfield door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the California figure falls inside it, we don't call Bakersfield better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Bakersfield directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.