Ridgecrest is a city in Kern County, California, home to about 28,225 people across 21 square miles. Its ZIP code is 93555.
Homes sold for a median of $184 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Ridgecrest; also China Lake Acres and Ridgecrest Heights
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Ridgecrest. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Ridgecrest’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)105 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Meadows Field (BFL)79 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Bakersfield, CA79 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA118 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Ridgecrest; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Ridgecrest had 27,959 residents in the 2020 census, up 12% since 2000.
It’s the 279th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Kern County grew from 16,480 residents in 1900 to 909,235 in 2020.
Kern County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 105°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 4.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, China Lake Naf, CA weather station (5 miles away).
219,016 jobs at 14,352 businesses in Kern County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
233 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Ridgecrest.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 30 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 25 |
| Dentists | 25 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 45 |
| Mental health providers | 72 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 30 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 5 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (9 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (5 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Sierra Sands Unified, Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and Sci District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faller ElementaryRidgecrest | K–5 | 516 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Gateway ElementaryRidgecrest | K–5 | 346 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Las Flores ElementaryRidgecrest | K–5 | 526 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Pierce ElementaryRidgecrest | K–5 | 297 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Richmond ElementaryRidgecrest | K–5 | 364 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Ridgecrest Elem Acad for Language Music and SciRidgecrest | K–6 | 239 | Charter | 1.1 mi |
| James Monroe MiddleRidgecrest | 6–8 | 490 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Murray MiddleRidgecrest | 6–8 | 643 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Burroughs HighRidgecrest | 9–12 | 1,536 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Mesquite Continuation HighRidgecrest | 9–12 | 95 | Alternative Education | 1.1 mi |
| Sierra Vista Education CenterRidgecrest | — | — | Public | 1.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Montessori Elementary SchoolRidgecrest | Pre-K–1 | 33 | Nonsectarian | 2.0 mi |
| Ridgecrest Adventist ElementaryRidgecrest | TK–7 | 16 | Seventh-day Adventist | 0.7 mi |
| St Ann SchoolRidgecrest | TK–8 | 115 | Roman Catholic | 0.5 mi |
| Our Saviors Lutheran SchoolRidgecrest | K–9 | 8 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 0.9 mi |
| Immanuel Christian SchoolRidgecrest | 1–12 | 142 | Baptist | 1.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with China Lake Acres and Ridgecrest Heights.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.