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Ridgecrest, CA
Full City Profile · California · Kern County County
3.4
/5.0
B
Good
28,138
Population
1,349/sq mi density
$88,107
Median Income
$40,173 per capita
$235,800
Home Value
$265,453 Zillow
$1,178
Median Rent
25.0% income on rent
65°F
Avg Temperature
330 sunny days/yr
488
Violent Crime/100K
1,378 property/100K
B
Overall
3.4 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
A
Economy
4.1 / 5.0
$88,107 median income, 5.3% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$235,800 home value, $1,178/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
488 violent crimes/100K (28% above avg)
B+
Education
3.5 / 5.0
31.7% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013–2023)
Population Change
-1.2%
28,541 → 28,212
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
-0.12%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+46.4%
$60,182 → $88,107
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+3.89%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for Ridgecrest across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013–2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts — real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
27,976
-236 from 2023 (28,212)
Projected Median Income 2030
$115,087
+$26,980 from 2023 ($88,107)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 28,541 | — | $60,182 | — |
| 2015 | 28,634 | +0.3% | $59,936 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 28,730 | +0.3% | $60,794 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 29,075 | +1.2% | $69,577 | +14.4% |
| 2021 | 28,105 | -3.3% | $77,534 | +11.4% |
| 2023 | 28,212 | +0.4% | $88,107 | +13.6% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.