What it's like to live in Barstow
Barstow 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. Barstow deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Barstow compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Barstow
Based on Barstow's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,182
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,640 a year
- 50% of Barstow renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,500
- Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,091/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,091 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $245,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $245,000 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 63% above US
7.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 7.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 305% above US
1332 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 2939/100k · Barstow Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 100°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 63% below US
13% 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
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (69 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Barstow's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,091/mo) equals 25% 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, anyone who doesn't drive, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Barstow
All California guides →Moving to Apple Valley →
25 mi away · pop. 75,473
Rent $1,444/mo · Income $69,882
Compare with Barstow →Moving to Spring Valley Lake →
28 mi away · pop. 9,483
Rent $2,350/mo · Income $82,625
Compare with Barstow →Not sure Barstow is the one?
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