The Town FilesInyokern, California
Community in Kern County · population 988 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $292,900
- Jan low / Jul high
- 33° / 102°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 55.2
Inyokern is a community of 988 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $292,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 98% of California towns, easier by car than 93% of California towns, better for retirees than 82% of California towns.
How Inyokern 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Inyokern is worth $292,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Median rent is $800 a month. 73.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Inyokern | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $292,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $800 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | — | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 73.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Inyokern
| People | Inyokern | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 1.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.5% | — |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 20.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 66.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Inyokern
July highs average 102.1°F and January lows 33.4°F. About 4.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.5 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 137 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 58 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Inyokern since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on March 26, 1991 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 26, 1991.
Severe weather in Kern County since 1996
Kern County has been included in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2024 | Fire | FM-5522: Borel Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| August 25, 2021 | Fire | FM-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 Inyokern itself the ACS puts it at 24.7%.
Public schools in Inyokern
1 public school with 153 students, about 21.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inyokern Elementary | K-5 | 153 | 21.9 |
Towns near Inyokern
- China Lake Acres, CA3.1 mi · 1,757 people · home $160,300
- Ridgecrest, CA8.9 mi · 27,959 people · home $253,900
- Searles Valley, CA25.0 mi · 1,565 people · home $80,800
- Weldon, CA27.5 mi · 2,303 people · home $178,800
Inyokern questions
Is Inyokern, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Inyokern scores better for retirees than 82% of California towns and quieter than 98%. 11.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.2).
How much does a house cost in Inyokern?
The median owner-occupied home in Inyokern is valued at $292,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is $800 a month.
What is the weather like in Inyokern?
July highs average 102.1°F and January lows 33.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 4.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.5 inches of snow.
Does Inyokern get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Inyokern since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on March 26, 1991. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)