Barstow, CA vs Ridgecrest, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricBarstow, CARidgecrest, CA
Population25,10028,225
Median Household Income$53,380$89,250
Median Rent$1,091/mo$1,186/mo
Median Home Value$245,000$253,900
Cost of Living (US = 100)106101
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income49.5%36.8%
Poverty Rate23.1%12.5%
Unemployment Rate7%4.7%
Violent Crime Rate /100k1,332559
Property Crime Rate /100k2,939864
Median AQI7770
Good AQI Days /yr4664
Summer Highs100°F102°F
Winter Lows37°F32°F
Snowfall0 in/yr1 in/yr
Avg Commute28.2 min16.9 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating1.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher2521.7
College Degree Rate13.2%30.9%
Foreign-Born %10.7%7.7%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.4%+1.4%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.