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Moving to
Rosedale.
Rosedale is an unincorporated community in Kern County, CA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Rosedale
Rosedale is an unincorporated community in California with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Rosedale deals with home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Rosedale compares
Median household income
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rosedale
Based on Rosedale's median rent, home value and household income
To buy
$121,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $60,890
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
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
1060 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Rosedale doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Kern County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs above the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 2069/100k · Policed by Kern County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
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▲ 14% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is César E. Chávez National Monument (35 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Rosedale's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and county unemployment above the national average. It tends to suit college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Rosedale
All California guides →Moving to Bakersfield →
7 mi away · pop. 411,986
Rent $1,472/mo · Income $80,540
Compare with Rosedale →Moving to East Bakersfield →
9 mi away · pop. 11,062
Rent $1,090/mo · Income $38,644
Compare with Rosedale →Not sure Rosedale is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.