Ridgecrest, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

28,225

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

33.4

4.02% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.5%

7.45% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$89,250

1.3% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$253,900

Population & Diversity

Ridgecrest, CA is home to a population of 28.2k people, from which 96.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 7.69% of Ridgecrest, CA residents were born outside of the country (2.17k people).

In 2024, there were 6.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.2k people) in Ridgecrest, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.81k Other (Hispanic) and 1.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.5%

2024 Citizenship

96.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.5% of Ridgecrest, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ridgecrest, CA was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Ridgecrest, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ridgecrest, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
17.2k ± 935
Other (Hispanic)
2.81k ± 732
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.7k ± 724

23.6%

Hispanic Population

6.67k people

23.6% of the people in Ridgecrest, CA are hispanic (6.67k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ridgecrest, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

7.69%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.17k people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.97k people

As of 2024, 7.69% of Ridgecrest, CA residents (2.17k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ridgecrest, CA was 7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Ridgecrest, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,361 ± 329
Vietnam
672 ± 170
Gulf War (1990s)
507 ± 202

Ridgecrest, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.03 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ridgecrest, CA.

Economy

The economy of Ridgecrest, CA employs 12.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ridgecrest, CA were Public Administration (3,761 people), Educational Services (1,332 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,215 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($102,552), Utilities ($94,174), and Manufacturing ($88,207).

Employment

Occupations

12.1k

2024 Value

± 894

1.81%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ridgecrest, CA grew at a rate of 1.81%, from 11.9k employees to 12.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ridgecrest, CA, are Architecture & Engineering Occupations (1,847 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,391 people), and Management Occupations (1,154 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ridgecrest, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

12.1k

2024 Value

± 894

1.81%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ridgecrest, CA grew at a rate of 1.81%, from 11.9k employees to 12.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ridgecrest, CA, are Public Administration (3,761 people), Educational Services (1,332 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,215 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ridgecrest, CA, though some of these residents may live in Ridgecrest, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$82,310

Median earning men ± $7,047

$48,390

Median earning women ± $4,840

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($107,790), Information ($94,333), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($92,639).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($120,334), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($92,634), and Public Administration ($86,250).

Education

The student population of Ridgecrest, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,197 male students and 3,352 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ridgecrest, CA are Hispanic or Latino (417 and 45%), White (359 and 38.7%), Two or More Races (57 and 6.15%), and Asian (44 and 4.75%).

The largest universities in Ridgecrest, CA by number of degrees awarded are Cerro Coso Community College (927 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Ridgecrest, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (192 and 20.7%), Humanistic Studies (129 and 13.9%), and Child Care Provider (111 and 12%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 5,549 students enrolled in Ridgecrest, CA, 39.6% men and 60.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 2,645 records, of which 61.9% were women and 38.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
192 degrees awarded
Humanistic Studies
129 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
33 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Ridgecrest, CA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 192 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Ridgecrest, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Cerro Coso Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

927 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cerro Coso Community College with 927 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 276 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ridgecrest, CA, which is 0.424 times less than the 651 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 417 degrees mean that there were 1.16 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 359 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,380) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($4) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($938) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ridgecrest, CA was $253,900 in 2024, which is 0.763 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $235,800 to $253,900, a 7.68% increase. The homeownership rate in Ridgecrest, CA is 58.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ridgecrest, CA have an average commute time of 16.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ridgecrest, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$253,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,248

$6,645

Median Property Taxes

±$612

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ridgecrest, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Ridgecrest, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58.8%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.8% of the housing units in Ridgecrest, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 59.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ridgecrest, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$89,250

Median Household Income

± $8,191

11.3k

Number of Households

± 917

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.3k households in Ridgecrest, CA grew to $89,250 from the previous year's value of $88,107.

The following chart displays the households in Ridgecrest, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ridgecrest, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.3%)
Carpooled (12.1%)
Worked At Home (11%)

In 2024, 73.3% of workers in Ridgecrest, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.1%) and those who worked at home (11%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ridgecrest, CA have a shorter commute time (16.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.87% of the workforce in Ridgecrest, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ridgecrest, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Ridgecrest, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ridgecrest, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ridgecrest, CA (3.5k out of 28k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ridgecrest, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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