Ridgecrest: A Navy base in the desert

In the seemingly endless expanse of desert of southeastern California, a quiet community is nestled among the creosote bushes and the barren rocky foothills of the Sierras. For most, Ridgecrest is no more than a passing blur in the distance, a landmark to tell you that you still have three hours to drive to get to Los Angeles while braving the desolate I-395, but for nearly 28,000 people it is home.

One of the largest employers for the city is the China Lake Naval Air and Weapons Testing Facility which lies on the northern limit of the city. Over 6,500 people are employed at the Naval base. This means that about 23% of the population of Ridgecrest is directly connected to the Naval base. This is not including their spouses and families.

The average income per household is $77,534. The median income per capita in the city is comparable. With an average of 2.5 people per household, the median income per capita in Ridgecrest is $36,966.

These numbers are higher than in Bakersfield where the average income per household is $58,824. While it is significantly higher than in Bakersfield, it is lower than the state-wide average which sits at $84,097.

The percentage of people that fall below the poverty line is 11.4%. This is significantly lower than that of the nearest metropolitan area and slightly lower than the state average. This could possibly be correlated to the number of people in Ridgecrest that have received higher education.

Data shows that college degrees can be directly linked to lower rates of poverty. 32.8% of the population in Ridgecrest has a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is nearly double that of the nearest metro area, Bakersfield, CA. This difference can perhaps be attributed to the large number of civilian workers that operate the air and weapons development and testing facility on the Naval base.

The foreign-born population of Ridgecrest makes up 7.5% of the population. This is much lower than that of both Bakersfield and the general average of California as a whole. Of the foreign-born population of Ridgecrest, 45% come from Latin America. This is followed closely by the Asian-born population which is 39%.

A majority of the population falls under the category of White according to the census reporter, with 65% of the people identifying as such. 22% identify as Hispanic.

While only less than ten percent of the population of Ridgecrest is foreign-born, around 14% of households speak a language other than English at home. The most common language predictably is Spanish.

While Ridgecrest is seldom a stop for most of those who pass by, it is a place full of life and culture that waits to be discovered.