Ridgecrest is a city of 28,225 people in California. The median age is 33.4, younger than the US median of 38.9. Getting to work takes 17 minutes on average. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $253,900. Density works out to 1,353 people per square mile. The foreign-born share is 8%.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $89,250, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 103%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Ridgecrest
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree26.7% → 30.9%(+4.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$210,726 → $253,900(+20%)US over the same years: +67%
Poverty rate7.2% → 12.5%(+5.3 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Ridgecrest's population equals 3.1% of Kern County's. Its number of veterans equals 9.4% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 1.2% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)45.5%(1,361)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.7%(978)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era23.7%(709)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.8%(55)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,994 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Ridgecrest, decade by decade
Ridgecrest population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
27,725
$93,811
$210,726
26.7%
34.9
2000
24,927
$81,922
$124,783
24.4%
49.5
2010
27,616
$82,995
$270,883
24.6%
60.6
2020
27,959
$86,993
$223,742
32.0%
73.2
2024
28,225
$89,250
$253,900
30.9%
70.6
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
