Isabella Recreation Sites, 2003
Lake Isabella’s story
69 years in pictures
Census counts: 3,428 in 1980, 3,573 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2003 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1957Lake Isabella is settled
Lake IsabellaCA
With 4,059 residents, this town was settled in 1957.
Population
4,059
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$217K
−1.9% in a year
Household income
$27K
median
Median age
36.3
years
Jobs based here
863
Balanced
TownGrade
D−
#756 of 841 in CA
Is Lake Isabella a good place to live?
Lake Isabella’s weakest is health (D−): on CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. At about $217K, a typical home costs 3.1 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income. It also trails on incomes: the median household income is $27K, and 41% of residents live below the poverty line. Put together, the subjects come to a D− overall, ranking 756th of 841 in California. Set against the rest, it does better than 3% of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On cost of living, just 54 of California’s 1,058 towns do better. Its concentration of trails is 2.1 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
What makes Lake Isabella stand out
Where Lake Isabella beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Lake Isabella grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lake Isabella is from typical.
Jobs & income863 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Kern Valley Healthcare District 4.5 miles awayD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listD−Open →SchoolsClose to the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.4 of 20; 11.5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10% conserved landAOpen →HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Lake Isabella: who provides what
Lake Isabella is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLake Isabella Community Services DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKern CountyKern County provides services here
SchoolsKern High School DistrictKernville Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Lake Isabella; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereKern County Clerk - Elections OfficeKern County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes93240, 93285, 9320593240 96% · 93285 3% · 93205 2%Census 2020
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 Lake Isabella.
Lake Isabella has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the California rate and has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
HousingCost of living grade B−
For cost of living, Lake Isabella earns a B−
83.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California. The median property tax bill is $1,353, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Home values are down 1.9% over the year to September 2026. Lake Isabella’s going rate for rent is $1,163 a month. The share of households in Lake Isabella who live in a home they own: 59%.
$217KZillow home value
| Lake Isabella | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,163 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lake Isabella$217K
California$762K
−1.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
Lake Isabella’s public schools trail 57% of California districts
Two of the 3 schools are below, and why each made the list. The largest public high school is Kern Valley High, with 516 students. Public schools: the Kernville Union Elementary school district.
43%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodrow W. Wallace ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 390 | – |
| Kern Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 516 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthD−
Lake Isabella stands out in California and nationally, with more of its adults who report frequent mental distress
No town among the 847 in California we compare has a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Lake Isabella. 42% of adults say their health is fair or poor in the town. Among 847 California towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Lake Isabella. Against the California average, Lake Isabella comes out ahead on 3 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 25.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Lake Isabella | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
3 better4 too close to call25 worse
| What stands out | Lake Isabella | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.7% | 15.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.9% | 71.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 18.9% | 5.1% |
Kern Valley Healthcare District
4.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
1st
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers 9.8% of Lake Isabella
Across 2 parks and preserves: 46 miles of trail. The biggest park or preserve is Lake Isabella Park, at 74 acres.
#153for trails in CA
| Lake Isabella | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
9.8%
conserved · 1,382 of 14,105 acres
46 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Isabella Park | — | 74 |
| 2. Uffert Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Top of a very high hazard risk in Lake Isabella: inland flooding
Expected losses in Lake Isabella break down as 72% from inland flooding and 15% from wildfires. Federal aid has come to Lake Isabella households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
A typical January night in Lake Isabella is 31°F, against 41°F in California’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns
July afternoons average 98.3°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 30.7°.
Winters in Lake Isabella are mild and summers hot, with very little rain. The town’s peak summer temperature stands at 98°F.
98°summer high
| Lake Isabella | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 31°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–60°
Spring43–74°
Summer60–96°
Fall45–80°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Lake Isabella’s workers commute out
Jobs based here fell from 1,456 in 2013 to 863. The average commute for its 967 working residents takes 18.7 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Half of commuters travel less than 37 miles. In Lake Isabella, the average trip to work is 19 minutes. Just 18% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Only 3 of the 846 California towns we compare have a lower middle household income than Lake Isabella.
18%work in town
| Lake Isabella | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 41% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $27,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lake Isabella18%
Bakersfield13%
Kernville7%
Los Angeles6%
Mountain Mesa6%
37 mi
median commute distance
863
jobs based in Lake Isabella
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Isabella
17pages on Lake Isabella
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake Isabella; the nearest are
Bakersfield CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bakersfield31.3 mi$1,430 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-BakersfieldUniversity or college · Public · Bakersfield39.8 mi$8,090 in-state tuitionPorterville CollegeCommunity college · Public · Porterville41.5 mi$1,438 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Lake Isabella residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Lake Isabella
Census-designated place in California, United States
Lake Isabella (formerly, Isabella) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County, California, United States. It is named after the Lake Isabella reservoir and located at the lake’s southwestern edge, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Wofford Heights in the Kern River Valley. The town of Lake Isabella is located 35 miles (56 km) east-northeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2,513 feet (766 m). The population was 3,573 at the 2020 census, up from 3,466 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 22 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,513 ft
- ZIP code
- 93240
Lake Isabella’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Lake Isabella.
BodfishLake Isabella
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Isabella | #756 | D− | B− | — | C+ | D− |
| Bodfish | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | D |
Bodfish has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lake Isabella and Bodfish report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lake Isabella with a neighbor →
Questions about Lake Isabella
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Isabella, CA a good place to live?
Lake Isabella grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #756 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lake Isabella, CA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.