The Town Files

Bodfish, California

Community in Kern County · population 2,008 (2020 Census)

Map: where Bodfish is in CaliforniaBodfish
Median home
$145,800
Household income
$39,863
Jan low / Jul high
32° / 88°
Snow a year
6 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
56.3

Bodfish is a community of 2,008 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $145,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 95% of California towns, better for retirees than 90% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 88% of California towns.

Bodfish in our rankings:

How Bodfish ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Bodfish lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement90th pctFamilies33rd pctQuiet95th pctWalkability7th pctFirst-time buyers56th pctYoung professionals2nd pctVibrancy3rd pctHip & trendy70th pctCollege town5th pctUpscale31st pctVacation homes88th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving42nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bodfish is worth $145,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 3.7 times the median household income of $39,863, which is more affordable than 94% of California towns. Median rent is $974 a month. 65.2% of households own their home.

Bodfish vs Kern County vs typical California townBodfishKern CountyTypical California townHome value$145,800$338,300$596,900Household income$39,863$70,210$91,557Monthly rent$974$1,300$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingBodfishTypical California town
Median home value$145,800$596,900
Median rent$974$1,827
Median household income$39,863$91,557
Home value ÷ income3.7×6.4×
Homeownership65.2%67.4%
Median year built19791977
Seasonal / vacation homes14.6%—

Who lives in Bodfish

PeopleBodfishTypical California town
Median age56.340.2
Age 65 and over33.0%17.7%
Under 1810.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher15.3%27.7%
Below the poverty line31.5%10.3%
Veterans13.8%—
Born outside the U.S.3.1%—
Work from home5.1%13.4%
Average commute19.8 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband77.1%93.3%

Weather in Bodfish

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 31.6°F. About 12.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 6.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 54 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 64 nights at or below freezing.

Bodfish monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing55°32°Jan56°32°Feb58°35°Mar64°37°Apr72°43°May82°51°Jun88°57°Jul89°56°Aug84°51°Sep73°45°Oct63°38°Nov54°32°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.51.33.11.62.11.60.90.40.80.10.10.30.10.50.30.12.01.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Loraine 5 Nne station (13.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Bodfish since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on September 2, 1997.

Severe weather in Kern County since 1996

Storm events in Kern County since 1996 by typeHeat144Flood325Drought290Dense Fog120High Wind777Heavy Rain111Heavy Snow64Debris Flow51
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kern County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Kern County has been included in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 27, 2024FireFM-5522: Borel Fire
November 21, 2023HurricaneDR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
August 25, 2021FireFM-5416: French Fire

Jobs and pay in Kern County

Kern County had 347,664 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,066 a year. Unemployment was 8.3% in 2023; in Bodfish itself the ACS puts it at 17.3%.

Largest industries in Kern CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…57,718 jobs · $38,303Health care & social assistan…47,178 jobs · $54,894Retail31,905 jobs · $40,848Hotels & restaurants26,656 jobs · $28,334Transportation & warehousing17,844 jobs · $70,042Construction15,984 jobs · $77,329
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kern County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Kern 8.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Bodfish

Bodfish questions

Is Bodfish, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bodfish scores better for retirees than 90% of California towns and quieter than 95%. 33.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.3).

How much does a house cost in Bodfish?

The median owner-occupied home in Bodfish is valued at $145,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $39,863, so homes cost about 3.7 times income. Median rent is $974 a month.

What is the weather like in Bodfish?

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 31.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.8 inches of precipitation a year and 6.2 inches of snow.

Does Bodfish get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Bodfish in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bodfish's Census boundary (GEOID 0607274). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.