Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
This town of 449 people was settled in 1903.
53% of residents live below the poverty line in Edison, against 10% in California’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Edison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Edison beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 5 maps from 1931 on.
Edison is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Edison.
The median commute is under 12 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Edison rose by 236, to 311. The top destinations are Bakersfield (31%), Los Angeles (4%) and East Niles (3%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Edison Elementary school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Enrollment at the town’s public school: 489 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 489 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
July afternoons reach 100°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in Edison who worry about having enough food: 25%. Of 32 CDC measures, Edison beats the California average on 1 and trails it on 16.
| Edison | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Edison | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 17.6% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Households in Edison have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2023. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 55% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts half of the town’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 32% to inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Edison. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
19 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year
33 mi MuseumFort Tejon6 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
9 mi MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year
8 mi MuseumBakersfield Museum of ArtDignity Health Arena: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · César E. Chávez National Monument: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Fort Tejon: Yellowute at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Kern County Museum: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bakersfield Museum of Art: Skyman9999. Skyman9999, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Edison
About 0 of every 100 Edison residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Edison’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Edison (formerly, Wade) is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) in the Tehachapi mountains of Kern County, California. It is located 7.5 miles (12 km) east-southeast of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 571 feet (174 m). As of the 2020 census, Edison had a population of 255. In 1902, the Edison Electric Company built a substation on the site. The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived at Wade in 1903, and changed the name to Edison. In 1928 oil was found nearby, and the Edison Oil Field gradually developed, peaking in the 1950s. The community is within the administrative boundaries of the oilfield, and active wells surround the town. The Edison post office opened …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Edison has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
