Hot desert
Ridgecrest, California
Kern County, California · Population 28k · 2,303 ft elevation
Living in Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest has a hot desert climate: scorching summers (July highs around 104°F) and chilly winters (January lows around 31°F).
Precipitation is very dry at about 5″ a year, and it sees only a dusting of snow (1″ a season).
Skies are exceptionally sunny (89% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.
Air quality is poor: a median AQI of 70, with about 65 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.
Ridgecrest is an outdoor hub: about 57% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 4,100 ft around town.
Ridgecrest at a glance
- Population
- 28k
- Elevation
- 2,303 ft
- Average daily high
- 81°F91th percentile
- Average daily low
- 49°F66th percentile
- Annual precipitation
- 5″0th percentile
- Annual snowfall
- 1″25th percentile
- Sunshine hours per year
- 3,963 hrs100th percentile
- Median AQI
- 7097th percentile
- Median home value
- $236k44th percentile
- Median rent
- $1,178/mo49th percentile
- Median household income
- $88k64th percentile
- Property tax rate
- 0.96%49th percentile
- Top state income-tax rate
- 13.3%
- Sales tax (state + local)
- 8.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 8.6%
- Homes with broadband
- 92%55th percentile
- Walkability index
- 8.448th percentile
- Average commute
- 16 min
- Math proficiency (8th grade)
- 28%22th percentile
- Reading proficiency (8th grade)
- 51%
- Violent crime rate
- 559 per 100k90th percentile
- Property crime rate
- 864 per 100k
- Overall natural-hazard risk
- 9986th percentile
- Outdoor access
- 9897th percentile
- Public land within 10 miles
- 38%
- Public land within 30 miles
- 57%
- Mountain relief within 30 miles
- 4,101 ft
Climate by month
| Month | High | Low | Precipitation | Snow | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 31°F | 0.9″ | 0.3″ | 247 hrs |
| Feb | 64°F | 35°F | 1.1″ | — | 247 hrs |
| Mar | 72°F | 42°F | 0.6″ | — | 319 hrs |
| Apr | 79°F | 47°F | 0.2″ | — | 350 hrs |
| May | 88°F | 55°F | 0.1″ | — | 400 hrs |
| Jun | 98°F | 64°F | 0.1″ | — | 418 hrs |
| Jul | 104°F | 70°F | 0.1″ | — | 413 hrs |
| Aug | 103°F | 68°F | 0.1″ | — | 397 hrs |
| Sep | 95°F | 60°F | 0.2″ | — | 352 hrs |
| Oct | 83°F | 48°F | 0.3″ | — | 317 hrs |
| Nov | 69°F | 37°F | 0.4″ | — | 266 hrs |
| Dec | 59°F | 30°F | 0.5″ | 0.2″ | 238 hrs |
Near Ridgecrest
- China Lake Acres, CA · 2.5k
- California City, CA · 15k
- Weldon, CA · 2.5k
- Boron, CA · 2.6k
- Lake Isabella, CA · 3.7k
- Mojave, CA · 4.4k
- Edwards AFB, CA · 2.6k
- Tehachapi, CA · 12k
Largest places in California
- Los Angeles, CA · 3.9M
- San Diego, CA · 1.4M
- San Jose, CA · 990k
- San Francisco, CA · 836k
- Fresno, CA · 544k
- Sacramento, CA · 525k
- Long Beach, CA · 458k
- Oakland, CA · 438k
Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology