Baker California from south 1, 2008
Baker’s story
93 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
- 1933Baker is settled
BakerCA
A regional job hub with 277 jobs. This town of 339 people was settled in 1933.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Is Baker a good place to live?
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Baker, against 10% in California’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Among 847 California towns, just one has a higher midsummer high than Baker. Baker’s concentration of trails is 1.3 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Baker has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Baker stand out
Where Baker beats most towns.
Small town
339 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
Moving to Baker: who provides what
Baker is unincorporated, so San Bernardino County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBaker Community Services District2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesSan Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Bernardino Registrar of VotersSan Bernardino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9230992309 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Baker.
Work & commute
In Baker, the average trip to work runs shorter than in the typical California or U.S. town
The median commute is under 122 miles. The top destinations are Los Angeles (7%), Barstow (5%) and Victorville (3%). Among working residents in Baker, 5.1% work locally.
5%work in town
| Baker | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Baker5%
Los Angeles7%
Barstow5%
Victorville3%
Upland2%
122 mi
median commute distance
277
jobs based in Baker
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Baker’s kids attend
Public schools: the Baker Valley Unified school district. Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. 3 public schools serve Baker, with 125 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 59 | D− |
| Baker HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 31 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Top of a very high hazard risk in Baker: inland flooding
Baker’s natural-hazard score from FEMA stands at 82 of 100. 56% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by landslides at 21%.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingLandslidesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Baker brings mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 109°, January nights drop to 36° and snow is almost unheard of.
109°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–65°
Spring55–85°
Summer76–107°
Fall56–87°
Nov 27
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
109°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Baker is
In Baker, just over a third of adults worry about having enough food. CDC measures, 32 in all: Baker beats California on 1 and trails on 23.
| Baker | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 9% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Baker | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 6.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.6% | 7.3% |
Weed Ach (Ft Irwin)
34.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Baker has set aside 3.5% of its land for conservation
There are 3.6 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 3 acres in Baker.
3.5%conserved
3.5%
conserved · 60 of 1,709 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chet Hoffman Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Baker
14pages on Baker
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Baker; the nearest are
Barstow Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Barstow60.7 mi$1,104 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nevada-Las VegasUniversity or college · Public · Las Vegas, NV77.6 mi$9,748 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Baker residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A job hub
Every workday, about 270 people come to Baker for work
Where Baker’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
277jobs based in Baker
5%of working residents work in town
122 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Baker
Census designated place in California, United States
Baker is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California, US. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 442. Baker's ZIP Code is 92309 and the community is within area codes 442 and 760.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 942 ft
- ZIP code
- 92309
- Area code
- 760
Questions about Baker
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Baker, CA a good place to live?
Baker has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.