Bakersfield, CA vs Melissa, TX

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Bakersfield

66.5

#1531 nationally

vs

Melissa

74.8

#551 nationally

Melissa leads in crime level (1.0 vs 15.2). Melissa leads in median household income ($138,465 vs $73,827). Bakersfield leads in average commute (23.6 min vs 32.6 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Bakersfield, CA Melissa, TX
WhereAtHome Score 66.5 (#1531) 74.8 (#551)
Population 413,381 23,571
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $391,030 $430,394
Median Household Income $73,827 $138,465
Average Commute 23.6 min 32.6 min
Walk Score 37 N/A
Crime Level 15.2 1.0
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 123 125
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored R+21.1 R+11.2

Data coverage note: Melissa is missing data for 1 metric that Bakersfield has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.