Boron First Baptist Church c1965, 1965
Boron’s story
88 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,999 in 1970, 2,086 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1965.
- 1938Boron is settled
BoronCA
A town of 2,698, settled in 1938.
Population
2,698
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$164K
−3.7% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
32.4
years
Jobs based here
901
Balanced
TownGrade
D−
#723 of 841 in CA
Is Boron a good place to live?
Boron grades D− overall, 723rd among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $53K, and 36% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. One bright spot: homes are within reach, about $164K for a typical one, or 2.3 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in Boron, where California’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 1 of the 613 California towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Boron.
How Boron grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Boron is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthAntelope Valley Hospital 36.4 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 9.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.4; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Boron: who provides what
Boron is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDesert Lake Comm Serv Dist water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKern CountyKern 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 hereKern County Clerk - Elections OfficeKern County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9351693516 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 Boron.
Boron has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
HousingCost of living grade B−
Boron earns a B− for cost of living
At 2.3 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home (about $164K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living. The typical value, about $164K, is 8% below its January 2025 peak.
45% of households own their home in Boron. The typical Boron home is worth about $164,000, down 3.7% in a year, 78% below the California typical home. The median rent in Boron is $1,219 a month.
$164KZillow home value
| Boron | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,219 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Boron$164K
California$762K
−3.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB−
Boron’s schools rank ahead of 50% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Muroc Joint Unified school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
50%of CA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Boron ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 276 | D |
| Boron Junior-Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 253 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthD
A larger share of adults in Boron smoke cigarettes than in the typical California or U.S. town
The nearest emergency room, Antelope Valley Hospital, is 36.4 miles away in a straight line.
19% of Boron adults smoke cigarettes. Boron beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 33% of Boron adults get no exercise outside work.
7%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Boron | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better10 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Boron | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.7% | 10.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 5.1% |
| More smokers | 19.2% | 10.9% |
Antelope Valley Hospital
36.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
5th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Boron faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Boron has set aside 0.1% of its land for conservation
8.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
#505for trails in CA
| Boron | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
0.1%
conserved · 9 of 8,743 acres
8.1 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Boron Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Boron, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Randsburg weather station, 23 miles away, records that about 106 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 100.7°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 33.4°.
Boron has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Boron’s July high is 101°F. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
2″snow a winter
| Boron | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 101°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 33°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–60°
Spring47–76°
Summer66–98°
Fall49–80°
Nov 25
typical first frost
Mar 19
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Boron has 1.4 jobs for every working resident, and 739 people commute in
The average commute for its 643 working residents takes 22.6 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
About one in 4 of Boron’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Boron has lost 217 jobs, to 901 in 2023. The top destinations are Los Angeles (5%), North Edwards (5%) and Bakersfield (4%).
25%work in town
| Boron | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Boron25%
Los Angeles5%
North Edwards5%
Bakersfield4%
Lancaster3%
39 mi
median commute distance
901
jobs based in Boron
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 30% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Boron
18pages on Boron
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Boron; the nearest are
Cerro Coso Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ridgecrest37.1 mi$1,384 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-San BernardinoUniversity or college · Public · San Bernardino61.8 mi$8,093 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Boron residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Boron
Place in California, United States
Boron (formerly Amargo, Baker, Borate, and Kern) is an unincorporated place in Kern County, California, United States. Boron is 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Red Rock Mountain at an elevation of 2,467 feet (752 m). For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Boron as a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 2,086 at the 2020 census, up from 2,025 at the 2000 census. Boron is named after the element boron and is the site of the world's largest source of the boron compound boric acid. Boron is on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. Within a half day's drive one can view the highest and lowest points in the contiguous 48 states of the United States (Moun…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 14 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,467 ft
- ZIP code
- 93516, 93596
Questions about Boron
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Boron, CA a good place to live?
Boron grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #723 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Boron, CA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.