What it's like to live in Arvin
Arvin is a small city in California with rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Arvin deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Arvin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Arvin
Based on Arvin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,244
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,880 a year
- 57% of Arvin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,270
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 21% below US
$1,122/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,122 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $262,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $262,700 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
9.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Kern County is 9.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Kern County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 94% above US
777 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1829/100k · Arvin Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 86% below US
5% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is César E. Chávez National Monument (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Arvin's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,122/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Arvin
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