Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 469, settled in 1879.
Keene’s typical journey 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 home-ownership rate 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.
Half of commuters travel less than 32 miles. Keene had 241 jobs in 2023, up 49 from 2013. The top destinations are Bakersfield (21%), Tehachapi (10%) and Bear Valley Springs (8%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keene’s risk rating from FEMA is 95 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 53% come from inland flooding and 34% from wildfires.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
37% of Keene adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 31% of residents (16% statewide); children under 18 are 9% of residents (22% statewide).
| 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
Keene’s density of trails stands at 1.2 miles per square mile. 11 miles of trail.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among adults in Keene, 30% have obesity. Of 32 CDC measures, Keene beats the California average on 15 and trails it on 4. 77% of adults in the town had a checkup this year; 9.8% worry about having enough food.
| 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.