| An oil, mining, and agricultural center,
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| | highest oil producers, the Kern River Oil
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| Bakersfield, California is one of the
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| | Field, remains active along with several
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| fastest-growing areas in the United
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| | other local oil fields. The city is also
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| States. Look here to find some of the
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| | home to the world's largest carrot
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| unique advantages and disadvantages of
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| | producers, Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse
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| relocating to Bakersfield.
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| | Farms. Other crops harvested in
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| At the southern end of the San Joaquin
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| | Bakersfield include table grapes,
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| Valley, Bakersfield is the third largest
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| | almonds, pistachios, citrus fruits,
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| inland city in California. The population
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| | wheat, garlic, and potatoes.
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| for the seat of Kern County has nearly
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| | There is a downside to the living in
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| tripled since 1980. Estimates put the
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| | Bakersfield. Crime is on the rise. Once
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| population at 286,316 in 2005, making
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| | below the national average as recently as
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| Bakersfield one of the fastest growing
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| | 2001, gang activity and drug use have
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| communities in the U.S. The culture of
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| | increased. An unusually high number of
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| the community was affected by the Great
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| | registered sex offenders reside in the
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| Plains drought of the 1930s. A great
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| | city with a ratio of one in every 286
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| number of people flocked to the area to
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| | residents. The community struggles with
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| work in the agriculture and oil
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| | an above-average teen birth rate and
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| industries. Migrants came from Arkansas
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| | below-average literacy. Calculations of
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| and Oklahoma, as well as Texas and
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| | census figures show Bakerfield's
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| Louisiana. In recent years, farm workers
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| | metropolitan area is one of the lowest
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| from Mexico and South and Central America
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| | college-educated communities in the
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| took to the fields. 51% of the city
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| | nation. The percentage of residents with
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| population is White non-Hispanic, 32%
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| | a bachelor's degree or higher was just
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| either Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% are Black
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| | 13.5% of adults age 25 or older. That's
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| or African American and 4.3% Asian.
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| | less than half the state average and well
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| The simple life might be one way to
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| | below the national average of 24%. The
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| describe Bakersfield. Far enough away
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| | climate can also be a factor for someone
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| from Los Angeles and San Francisco,
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| | thinking about relocating to Bakersfield.
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| residents can avoid big-city hassles. For
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| | The city is determined to be the most
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| those relocating to Bakersfield, housing
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| | ozone-polluted city in the country by the
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| is likely to be affordable. Renters paid
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| | American Lung Association in 2006.
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| $564 monthly on average, according to the
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| | Persistent tule fog trapped near the
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| census in 2000. Average home values were
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| | floor of the valley can reduce visibility
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| $106,500, well below the state average.
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| | by less than 10 ft. in the winter. Hot
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| In a 10-year period ending in 2005,
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| | and dry, the city gets 223 days of sun
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| housing starts nearly quadrupled.
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| | annually. A mere 5.72 inches of rain
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| Building permits were issued for upwards
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| | manages to fall on Bakersfield yearly,
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| of 5,000 homes to be constructed at an
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| | according to statistical averages
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| average cost of $155,000 apiece. Since a
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| | compiled by the National Weather Service.
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| major earthquake in 1952, Bakersfield
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| | Rain is seldom seen from May through
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| lost some of its charm. Historic
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| | September, as average high temperatures
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| Victorian brick businesses and hotels
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| | reach 99 degrees in July. Mild autumns
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| were destroyed at the epicenter. The
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| | and early springs are lasting and
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| earthquake also permanently changed the
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| | suitable for growing a wide variety of
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| appearance of Bakersfield in the historic
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| | crops.
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| Chinatown area and from damage to other
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| | Bakersfield has become known as
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| turn-of-the-century buildings.
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| | "California's Country Music Capital" with
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| Inflation-adjusted estimates in 2005 by
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| | the emergence of musicians like Merle
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| the U.S. Census Bureau find the employed
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| | Haggard and Buck Owens. In the 1950s and
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| in Bakersfield earning nearly $21,000
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| | 60s, local musicians developed what is
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| annually on average. That puts the city
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| | referred to as the "Bakersfield Sound."
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| more than $4,000 below the national
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| | The city continues to greatly contribute
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| figure. Median household income (in 2005
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| | to the country music scene. And if you
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| inflation-adjusted dollars) was $45,174,
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| | are driving to the city, it may take a
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| while median family income was $51,601.
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| | bit longer to get there. After Fresno,
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| Bakersfield's economy relies on
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| | Bakersfield is the second largest city in
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| agriculture, petroleum extraction and
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| | the U.S not directly linked to an
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| refinement industries. Since its
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| | interstate.
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| discovery in 1899, oil is still important
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| | Lou Ross is with - Your resource for
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| to the local economy. One of the nation's
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| | moving truck rentals.
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