Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 469, settled in 1879.
Keene’s average trip to work is 57 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town among the 848 in California we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Keene. 27% of the land in Keene is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Nuestra Senora Reina de la Paz is on the National Register of Historic Places. Keene has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2011.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Keene 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 Keene.
Most working residents leave Keene for work: only 0% work in town. Jobs based in Keene grew to 241 in 2023, 49 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Bakersfield (21%), Tehachapi (10%) and Bear Valley Springs (8%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median age in Keene is 59.3 years. People 65 and older are 31% of residents (16% statewide); children under 18 are 9% of residents (22% statewide). 37% of Keene adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Keene | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.3 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 29% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 90% are men (CA 47%).
| Keene | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 1.1% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.9% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 8.5% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 33.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.3% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
11 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Keene’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keene has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 93° and January nights drop to 37°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Keene home is worth about $648,000, up 2.6% in a year, 15% below the California typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keene beats the California average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 31% of adults feel lonely in Keene.
| Keene | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 72% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 16% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Keene | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Keene; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Keene residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Keene’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in California, United States
Keene (formerly Wells) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California in the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains at the southern extreme of the San Joaquin Valley. Keene is located 8.5 miles (14 km) northwest of Tehachapi, at an elevation of 2,602 feet (793 m). The population was 469 at the 2020 census, up from 431 at the 2010 census. The headquarters of the United Farm Workers (UFW), a national farmworkers organization organized and led by Cesar Chavez, is located in Keene, and is sometimes referred to as "Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz" ("Our Lady Queen of Peace"). Keene is located in the greater Tehachapi area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Keene has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.