Moving from Reno to Bakersfield

Kern County sits at the southern end of the Central Valley, and a move there from Reno crosses most of California on the way. Census flows put about 285 people a year moving from Washoe County to Kern County, with a margin of error that is large, so the safest summary is that people make this move in both directions. The notes below describe the Bakersfield end of the trip.

Heat arrives, snow does not

The Bakersfield airport station shows a January high of 58.5 degrees and a July high of 98.3, with a July low of 71.3. Annual precipitation is 6.36 inches and annual snowfall is 0.1 inch. Reno's station records 20.9 inches of snow a year.

A household moving south from Reno should plan around the heat. Plants, candles, some electronics and anything with wax or adhesive need a cool place during the trip, and the estimator can walk through those items at the in-home visit.

What housing and income look like

In the American Community Survey, Bakersfield city has a median home value of $371,700, median gross rent of $1,472 and median household income of $80,540, with 39.4 percent of households renting. The Bakersfield-Delano metro shows $338,300 for a home and $1,300 for rent.

The Reno metro's survey medians are $502,300 for a home and $1,592 for rent. Those are published figures for each area and not a price for any specific house, but the gap explains why some Washoe County households look at Kern County when they want more space for the same budget.

Registering in California

California DMV requires a vehicle brought in from another state to be registered within 20 days of becoming a resident or bringing it into the state. Emissions rules apply to many vehicles coming from out of state, so open the DMV new-resident page before the move and read the checklist for your vehicle.

The state's base sales and use tax is 7.25 percent, with district taxes of 0.10 to 2.00 points added in some places. The checklist at moving to a new state puts these errands in order.

How we plan a move to Kern County

O'Brien's books the move from our Sparks office after a free in-home estimate, which comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes. The shipment travels through the Bekins Van Lines network, and the delivery window comes from your written estimate. Packing can be full, partial or into your own boxes; see full packing for what each includes.

A closing date that slips by a week does not have to stall the truck. Vault storage from $40 per month holds the household in our warehouse until the new place is ready.