Kettleman CityCA
A town of 1,002, settled in 1929. A typical home costs 3 years of the Hanford metro’s $71K median household income.
Is Kettleman City a good place to live?
The best of Kettleman City’s subject grades is a B+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Kettleman City, above both the California town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 18 of California’s 1,056 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Kettleman City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kettleman City stand out
Where Kettleman City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Kettleman City | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 31.5% | 10.6% |
Kettleman City has shrunk 14% from 2010 to 2020
1,439 counted in 2010 and 1,242 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Kettleman City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Kettleman City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Kettleman City: who provides what
Kettleman City is unincorporated, so Kings 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kettleman City.
Kettleman City stands out in California and nationally: a smaller share of its households own their home
15% of Kettleman City households own their home, against 64% in California’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Kettleman City’s median rent is $1,055 a month. The typical Kettleman City home is worth about $215,000, up 3.2% in a year, 72% below the California typical home.
| Kettleman City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 15% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,055 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kettleman City’s schools rank behind 72% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Reef-Sunset Unified school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettleman City ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 239 | D |
| Adelante HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
More of Kettleman City’s adults say their health is fair or poor than in the typical California or U.S. town
40% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Kettleman City. Kettleman City beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 42% of adults feel lonely in Kettleman City.
| Kettleman City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 24% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Kettleman City | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.6% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 31.5% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Kettleman City has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Kettleman City for work: only 0% work in town. The median household income in Kettleman City is $48,000. Jobs based in Kettleman City fell to 74 in 2023, 36 fewer than in 2013.
| Kettleman City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
High risk in Kettleman City, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mild winters and hot summers in Kettleman City
Kettleman City has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 98°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Everything we know about Kettleman City
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kettleman City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Kettleman City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
1,002 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Questions about Kettleman City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kettleman City, CA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.