North Bakersfield & Shafter

The area north of the Kern River, anchored by Oildale (pop ~35,500) — a large unincorporated CDP with deep roots in the oil industry and Bakersfield's country music scene (Buck Owens' Crystal Palace is nearby). North Bakersfield neighborhoods extend along CA-99 and Airport Drive. Shafter (pop ~20,000) is an incorporated city 18 miles northwest of Bakersfield along CA-43, with a growing logistics sector centered on the Wonderful Industrial Park and Minterfield airport. This region offers some of the most affordable housing in the metro.