Ridgecrest, California is a medium-sized city with a population of 28,604 residents. The majority of Ridgecrest residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Black and Asian. If you are looking for a family friendly city, Ridgecrest might be a good fit as 77% of the population over 15 years old are married, and 58% have kids who are 18 years old or younger.
Without the right tools, moving to any new city can be very stressful and challenging. Living in Ridgecrest, California could be a fulfilling experience for anyone who puts in the effort to do the research required. The best areas in Ridgecrest and in surrounding cities are easier to find when you are able to make informed decisions. Using data from amenities, crime, employment, you will see a detailed breakdown of the most important information as well as comparisons to the California and national averages.
With a livability score of 69/100, Ridgecrest is ranked #11,624 in the United States and #412 in California. For each of the livability categories, we see that Ridgecrest ranks very well for amenities (A+) and weather (B). The bad news for Ridgecrest, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: crime (D-), cost of living (D), education (D-) and employment (D).
Location, location, location - possibly the three most important words in your search for a new place to live. Fortunately, in Ridgecrest, there is no shortage of amazing local amenities and interesting things to do. Some of the notable things to do include: Maturango Museum, China Lake Naval Weapons Center, and Little Petroglyph Canyon.
Assuming that Ridgecrest meets all of your requirements, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Ridgecrest. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Ridgecrest are simply unattainable. The median home price for Ridgecrest homes is $166,500, which is 59.3% lower than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Ridgecrest, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.8, which is 56.3% lower than the California average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Ridgecrest area were 3.1% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 4.6%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.
| Statistic | Ridgecrest | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 14min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 77.9% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 12.0% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.1% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.1% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.6% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
Here are the best places to live in California
Top 10 best public schools in Ridgecrest
See the best places to live in & around Ridgecrest
10 Best cities in California for employment