Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 13,164, founded in 1923.
Lamont grades D− overall, 749th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of health and incomes. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. The median household income is $37K, and 35% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, it is more walkable than 57% of U.S. towns. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Lamont, above both California’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On cost of living, just 80 of California’s 1,058 towns do better.
Where Lamont’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lamont is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
![Harvesting grapes near La Monte [i.e. Lamont]. Kern County, California. Lithuanian contract labor](https://images.townratings.com/story/37210/6f43452da40ddef6fee2-l.jpg)
Census counts: 3,571 in 1950, 14,049 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1936 and 5 maps from 1932 on.
Lamont 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 Lamont.
Lamont has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values climbing faster than California’s, but it has poverty well above the California rate.
Home values rose 33% in five years, to about $251K, against 13% across California. The median property tax bill is $1,615, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Lamont home is worth about $251,000, about the same as a year ago, 67% below the California typical home. The median rent in Lamont is $991 a month.
| Lamont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $991 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Lamont Elementary school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alicante Avenue ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 959 | – |
| Nueva Continuation HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 79 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
46% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Lamont. Only 5 of the 847 California towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Lamont. 24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Lamont.
| Lamont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 22% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lamont | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.5% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 35.1% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 2,630 in 2013 to 1,721.
Among 846 California towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Lamont. 4.4% of Lamont workers work from home. Jobs based in Lamont fell to 1,721 in 2023, 909 fewer than in 2013.
| Lamont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lamont.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Bakersfield Ap weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 112 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 99.3°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.2°.
Lamont has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Lamont’s July high is 99°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Lamont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 99°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 41°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Lamont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bear Mountain Park | — | 17 |
| 2. Lamont Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lamont. Close and well known come first.
9 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
27 mi MuseumFort Tejon
20 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year
11 mi MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year12 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
9 mi MuseumBakersfield Museum of ArtDignity Health Arena: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Fort Tejon: Yellowute at English Wikipedia, Public domain · César E. Chávez National Monument: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Kern County Museum: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bakersfield Museum of Art: Skyman9999. Skyman9999, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Lamont
About 6 of every 100 Lamont residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Lamont is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Lamont is located 9 miles (14 km) south-southeast of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 404 feet (123 m). The population was 14,049 at the 2020 census, down from 15,120 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Lamont.
Lamont and Weedpatch report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lamont with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lamont grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #749 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($70,210 across the Bakersfield-Delano, 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+.
