California exodus: Bakersfield among top cities people are leaving

Bakersfield is a wonderful place.  It has some of the best restaurants in the State and friendly residents.  Sadly, Newsom is killing off the two biggest industries in the community—agriculture (via holding back water) and oil—by claiming the industry would melt the Earth.  So, productive people are forced to move to other States to survive financially.

“A recent report by PODS lists Bakersfield as 19th on the list of top 20 cities people are moving from, with six other California cities also included, including Fresno at number 17.

The report highlights low housing affordability and overcrowding as additional factors driving residents away from these cities.

Michelle Valverde, a Bakersfield broker-owner, said she is not surprised to see Bakersfield on the list. “I think with rising costs on everything in CA in general, it’s just becoming more challenging — it’s becoming a challenging place to live when it comes to affordability, so people tend to have to move out of necessity,” she said.”

Of the top twenty cities people are moving from, California has six.  Just north of Bakersfield, Fresno is also on the list.

California exodus: Bakersfield among top cities people are leaving

by Mica Thomas, KBAK,  5/28/25  https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/california-exodus-bakersfield-among-top-cities-people-are-leaving?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&sfmc_id=13101737&utm_guid=e4f7afd04f53cba165299872e531653c57c1c26f2d8fb63dee2336d3c052be0b&utm_campaign=HeadlinesNewsletter

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX)— As California continues to experience a mass exodus, the reasons behind the departures remain consistent: high cost of living, high taxes, and natural disasters.

A recent report by PODS lists Bakersfield as 19th on the list of top 20 cities people are moving from, with six other California cities also included, including Fresno at number 17.

The report highlights low housing affordability and overcrowding as additional factors driving residents away from these cities.

Michelle Valverde, a Bakersfield broker-owner, said she is not surprised to see Bakersfield on the list. “I think with rising costs on everything in CA in general, it’s just becoming more challenging — it’s becoming a challenging place to live when it comes to affordability, so people tend to have to move out of necessity,” she said.

However, earlier this month, the California Department of Finance released new data showing Bakersfield’s population has increased by 3,000 since last year.

When asked about the apparent contradiction, Valverde explained, “We have to consider a combination of affordability, infrastructure development, and economic diversification that positioned Bakersfield as a promising market for long-term real estate investment. And we know this because we see movement prominently from other Californians that reside in other metropolitan areas, such as LA, who have decided to stay in the state and have made their way here.”

Despite Bakersfield remaining one of the more affordable large cities in California, the state itself continues to price out both natives and transplants.