The Town FilesSquirrel Mountain Valley, California
Community in Kern County · population 760 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $375,600
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 99°
- Snow a year
- 6 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 61.0
Squirrel Mountain Valley is a community of 760 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $375,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 96% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 88% of California towns.
How Squirrel Mountain Valley 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 Squirrel Mountain Valley is worth $375,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). 89.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Squirrel Mountain Valley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $375,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | — | $1,827 |
| Median household income | — | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 89.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 21.3% | — |
Who lives in Squirrel Mountain Valley
| People | Squirrel Mountain Valley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 30.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 14.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.9% | — |
| Work from home | 5.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Squirrel Mountain Valley
July highs average 98.6°F and January lows 31.5°F. About 11.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 6.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 111 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 69 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Squirrel Mountain Valley 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
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 Squirrel Mountain Valley itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Towns near Squirrel Mountain Valley
- Mountain Mesa, CA1.6 mi · 823 people · home $228,200
- Lake Isabella, CA4.6 mi · 3,573 people · home $132,900
- Bodfish, CA5.5 mi · 2,008 people · home $145,800
- Weldon, CA5.7 mi · 2,303 people · home $178,800
- Wofford Heights, CA7.7 mi · 2,213 people · home $206,300
- Kernville, CA9.6 mi · 1,549 people · home $406,400
Squirrel Mountain Valley questions
Is Squirrel Mountain Valley, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Squirrel Mountain Valley scores better for retirees than 63% of California towns and quieter than 96%. 30.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 61.0).
How much does a house cost in Squirrel Mountain Valley?
The median owner-occupied home in Squirrel Mountain Valley is valued at $375,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Squirrel Mountain Valley?
July highs average 98.6°F and January lows 31.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.8 inches of precipitation a year and 6.2 inches of snow.
Does Squirrel Mountain Valley get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Squirrel Mountain Valley in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)