What it's like to live in California City
California City is a small city in California with home prices that remain within reach. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. California City deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and long average commutes.
The good
- Affordable home prices
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Long commutes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How California City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to California City
Based on California City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,600
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,000 a year
- 64% of California City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$55,600
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $27,800
- Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,300/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,300 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $278,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $278,000 · 64% 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▲ 57% above US
518 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1420/100k · California City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 67% above US
43 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 43.3 minutes, and that's just the average, meaning a lot of people are doing significantly more. This isn't a city where living far from the office is a comfortable bet. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 65% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 26:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is César E. Chávez National Monument (39 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
California City's strongest point is 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 ($1,300/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who dread long commutes.
See all the data for California City →·All California cities →
Other places near California City
All California guides →Moving to Rosamond →
26 mi away · pop. 21,473
Rent $1,498/mo · Income $79,386
Compare with California City →Moving to Tehachapi →
34 mi away · pop. 11,946
Rent $1,295/mo · Income $72,957
Compare with California City →Moving to Ridgecrest →
35 mi away · pop. 28,225
Rent $1,186/mo · Income $89,250
Compare with California City →Moving to Golden Hills →
35 mi away · pop. 9,891
Rent $1,377/mo · Income $95,669
Compare with California City →Not sure California City is the one?
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