Population 31,347 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ridgecrest
Household size in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 3.27 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 3.34 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 3.28 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.51 | 3.26 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Ridgecrest run a little small, averaging 2.51 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.58, as it has nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 31.8 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.1 | 32.2 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 33.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.7 | 33.9 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.0 | +2.1 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.7, Ridgecrest is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Still, the population here is older than in the Bakersfield area overall, where the median age is 33.9. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 38.7, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 18.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 18.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 16.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 17.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are just as common in Ridgecrest as they are nationally: 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in the Bakersfield area as a whole (17.8%). The single-parent share has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ridgecrest
Renters in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1% | 38.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.8% | 42.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 41.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.0% | 39.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Ridgecrest than nationally: 38.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 41.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.9 points, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 10.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 8.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Ridgecrest as nationally: 9.1%, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.6 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1980 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1981 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1982 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Ridgecrest was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the Bakersfield area overall, where the median home dates to 1986. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $841 | $968 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $967 | $1,061 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,074 | $1,163 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,240 | $1,610 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$399 | +$643 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ridgecrest pays $1,240 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $399 a month since 2006–10, up 47%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only 50 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ridgecrest
Bachelor's degrees in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 14.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.0% | 15.3% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.6% | 16.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.7% | 20.5% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Ridgecrest than nationally: 31.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is higher than in the Bakersfield area as a whole (20.5%). The share with a degree is up 6.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 70.3% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.5% | 72.3% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 73.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.0% | 77.2% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Ridgecrest have finished high school (91.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ridgecrest
| Period | Ridgecrest | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 13.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 9.9% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Ridgecrest: 7.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Still, the rate is lower than in the Bakersfield area overall (8.6%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ridgecrest compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgecrest | 2.51 | 35.7 | 11.6% | 38.0% | 9.1% | 1979 | $1,240 | 31.7% | 91.0% | 7.9% |
| China Lake Acres | 2.82 | 32.7 | 13.5% | 32.7% | 9.1% | 1977 | $1,287 | 15.9% | 80.1% | 4.5% |
| Inyokern | 2.24 | 54.3 | 4.8% | 18.3% | 18.2% | 1984 | $846 | 30.4% | 93.8% | 13.6% |
| Borosolvay | 2.75 | 35.8 | 16.6% | 30.8% | 35.2% | 1955 | $844 | 7.8% | 85.8% | 7.2% |
| Pearsonville | 2.23 | 50.1 | 4.8% | 23.1% | 27.3% | 1982 | $1,000 | 41.2% | 87.6% | 6.8% |
| Searles Valley | 2.70 | 35.6 | 12.6% | 29.2% | 28.6% | 1961 | $805 | 12.9% | 85.9% | 10.1% |
| Onyx | 2.20 | 33.5 | 8.0% | 44.4% | 26.6% | 1976 | $1,250 | 35.6% | 75.9% | 23.6% |
| Weldon | 2.01 | 63.2 | 14.3% | 20.3% | 19.9% | 1980 | $1,160 | 11.2% | 85.0% | 4.4% |
| Johnsondale | 1.71 | 65.4 | 2.0% | 6.2% | 48.4% | 1980 | $1,520 | 22.3% | 100.0% | 12.6% |
| Mountain Mesa | 2.26 | 59.0 | 9.0% | 15.1% | 19.6% | 1980 | $1,049 | 9.6% | 92.9% | 0.0% |
| Lake Isabella | 2.42 | 39.5 | 26.6% | 35.5% | 23.4% | 1973 | $1,135 | 10.6% | 90.6% | 7.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Summerfield, FL · Cave Creek, AZ · Cayey, PR · Chillum, MD · Christiansburg, VA · Coraopolis, PA · Twentynine Palms, CA · Tewksbury, MA · Sun City Center, FL · Summerlin South, NV
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ridgecrest. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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