Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
McFarland earns a D, ranked 696th of 841 in California, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $55K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 67% of U.S. towns. McFarland’s July high is 99°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). On hazard risk, just 49 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. McFarland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 100% of U.S. towns.
12,707 counted in 2010 and 14,161 in 2020; an estimated 14,709 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far McFarland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,183 in 1950, 14,161 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 5 maps from 1927 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in McFarland, and how to reach them.
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 McFarland.
McFarland carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly inland flooding), has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Bakersfield and other neighbors.
40% of adults say their health is fair or poor in McFarland. McFarland beats the California average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 23% of adults report frequent mental distress in McFarland.
| McFarland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 22% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | McFarland | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.3% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.1% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 30.3% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the McFarland Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is McFarland High School Early College, with 1,027 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kern Avenue ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 700 | C− |
| McFarland High School Early CollegeLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,027 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Home values rose 29% in five years, to about $313K, against 13% across California. The median property tax bill is $2,069, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical McFarland home is worth about $313,000, up 1.3% in a year, 59% below the California typical home. McFarland’s median rent is $1,131 a month.
| McFarland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,131 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 61% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 244 to 138 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in McFarland is 3.7 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 60% of towns. The property crime rate in McFarland is 5.9 per 1,000 residents.
| McFarland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Wasco weather station, 9 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 315 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Wasco weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 126 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
McFarland has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 99°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
McFarland has about as many jobs (3,420) as working residents, but only 546 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave McFarland for work: only 14% work in town. The top destinations are Bakersfield (15%), Delano (13%) and Shafter (4%). Half commute less than 22 miles.
| McFarland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 89% of California towns, with expected losses of about $50 per resident a year; that rating is what its B− for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1978, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in McFarland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| McFarland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blanco Park | 0.9 mi | 12 |
| 2. Browning Road Park | 0.1 mi | 11 |
| 3. Sherwood Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of McFarland; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 McFarland residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in California, United States
McFarland (formerly, Hunt and Lone Pine) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. It is located 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Bakersfield and 6.5 miles (10 km) south of Delano, at an elevation of 354 feet (108 m). The population of McFarland was 14,161 at the 2020 census, up from 12,707 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
McFarland grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #696 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 60% of towns.
That is 4.5 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.