WorkspaceTop ListsAboutContact Us

California City, CA

View of California City, CA
Image credit: Craig Dietrich / CC BY 2.0
Population
13,300
U.S. Census Population Estimates Program · 2025
Elevation
2,404 ft
Median Home Value
$278,000
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Rent
$1,300/mo
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Income
$60,113
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024

Explore

California City in context.

OverallBest places in CaliforniaPopulation rankingHighest population places in CaliforniaNearest larger communityRidgecrest, California35 miles away · 28,333 residents.

About California City

California City is a Kern County city in the northern Antelope Valley, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Its defining fact is scale: it covers more than 200 square miles, making it one of California's largest cities by land area, yet much of that land remains an unfinished grid of roads without houses. Edwards Air Force Base, Mojave Air and Space Port, the Hyundai/Kia proving grounds, and the detention facility all matter locally. It feels part desert town, part unrealized megaproject.

Top Rating Signals

Highest current ratings for this town.

Lower FEMA County Hurricane Risk IndexA+100.0ratingLower Projected Late-Century County-Area Exposure to Sea-Level RiseA+100.0ratingBright SkiesA+98.7rating

Loading town details...