Ridgecrest, California
Among the top 5% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 95% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 42% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 82% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 29% of US places
- top 1% for summer humidity
- top 2% for sunny days
- bottom 3% for income tax
Ridgecrest is a mid-size city in California with about 28,000 residents. It grades A for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include summer humidity, sunny days, and commute time. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and income tax.
Official websiteridgecrest-ca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comf.
warm
hot
sweltering
warm
comf.
cool
97%75%clearovercast
Precipitation 0.9 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$86k77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$55kbetter than 21% of US places
Home Value$225k66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 31% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 38% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.96%better than 53% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden18.72%better than 10% of US places
Unemployment9.2%better than 16% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)46°F81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)87°F99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation4.7 in0th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.5 inbetter than 82% of US places
Sunny Days328 daysbetter than 98% of US places
Summer Humidity42°Fbetter than 99% of US places
Comfortable Days63 daysbetter than 15% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk60.5better than 57% of US places
Air Quality27 AQIbetter than 93% of US places
School Quality53.0better than 41% of US places
Violent Crime1852/100kbetter than 10% of US places
Property Crime1393/100kbetter than 33% of US places
Community
Population28,11895th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.424th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4579th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9440th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)65.1%27th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.5%73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)21.7%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.7%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.9%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time16 minbetter than 96% of US places
Walkability9.4/20better than 84% of US places
Airport Distance124 mibetter than 26% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.0%better than 72% of US places
Amenities Nearby25.25better than 25% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 22% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ridgecrest an affordable place to live?
- Ridgecrest is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $55k, better than 21% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Ridgecrest?
- The median home value in Ridgecrest is $225k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Ridgecrest?
- Median household income in Ridgecrest is $86k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Ridgecrest?
- Median gross rent in Ridgecrest is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Ridgecrest safe?
- Ridgecrest is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1852/100k (better than 10%). Property crime is 1393/100k.
- What is the weather like in Ridgecrest?
- Ridgecrest averages 87°F in July and 46°F in January, with 4.7 in of annual precipitation and about 328 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Ridgecrest?
- Public-school quality in Ridgecrest is about average, scoring better than 41% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Ridgecrest?
- The average one-way commute in Ridgecrest is 16 min.
Places near Ridgecrest
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)