Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hesperia grades D− overall, 740th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. The median household income is $72K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 61% of U.S. towns. Hesperia’s average trip to work is 43 minutes, against 28 minutes in California’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Hesperia's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
90,173 counted in 2010 and 99,818 in 2020; an estimated 102,605 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Hesperia is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,592 in 1970, 99,818 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 5 maps from 1902 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hesperia, and how to reach them.
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 Hesperia.
Hesperia has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has property taxes about half the California norm, but it has commutes longer than most of California.
125 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. Hesperia’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is San Bernardino National Forest, at 628 acres.
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hesperia Civic Plaza Park | 0.6 mi | 5 |
| 2. San Bernardino National Forest | 0.4 mi | 628 |
| 3. Lime Street Park & Community Center | 0.3 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Hesperia Unified school district. Two of its 33 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesperia Junior HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,228 | C− |
| Alta Vista Innovation HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,812 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Since 1991, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hesperia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $2,522, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Hesperia home is worth about $462,000, up 1.8% in a year, 39% below the California typical home. The median rent in Hesperia is $1,590 a month.
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,590 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
28% of adults worry about having enough food in Hesperia. Hesperia beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 30% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Hesperia.
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 22% | 19% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Hesperia | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.8% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 36,566 working residents takes 42.9 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 10,811 in 2013 to 15,752.
Most working residents leave Hesperia for work: only 12% work in town. Since 2013, Hesperia has added 4,941 jobs, to 15,752 in 2023. The top destinations are Victorville (10%), San Bernardino (7%) and Los Angeles (5%).
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 9.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Victorville weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 119 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 36.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 77% of California places with climate records; July afternoons average 93.9°.
Hesperia has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hesperia's reported crime rate is below California's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 474 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Hesperia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hesperia. Close and well known come first.
20 mi MountainMount San Antonio
22 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
27 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Arena
35 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
14 mi TheatreGlen Helen Amphitheater36 mi Theme parkRaging WatersMount San Antonio: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Toyota Arena: jondoeforty1, CC BY 2.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Glen Helen Amphitheater: Alonzo, CC BY 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hesperia
About 6 of every 100 Hesperia residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Hesperia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Hesperia.
City in California, United States
Hesperia () is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Bernardino in Victor Valley and surrounded by the Mojave Desert. Because of its relatively high elevation and the unique and moderate weather patterns of the region, Hesperia is part of what is locally called the High Desert. The name "Hesperia" means "western land". At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 99,818.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Hesperia.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hesperia | #740 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C− |
| Oak Hills | #646 | D | D | — | C+ | B− |
| Victorville | #789 | D− | C− | — | C− | C− |
| Apple Valley | #721 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C |
Hesperia, Oak Hills, Victorville and Apple Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hesperia with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hesperia grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #740 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($89,662 across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
4 notable people were born here, including Joel Miller and Joel Deleōn.
