Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
600 people live in this town in California.
Mountain Mesa’s peak summer temperature is 99°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Only 4 of the 834 California towns we compare have a lower midpoint rent than Mountain Mesa. 46% of the land in Mountain Mesa is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Mountain Mesa 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.
Census counts: 1,153 in 1990, 823 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
Explore the history →Mountain Mesa 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 Mountain Mesa.
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 1.6 miles. In Mountain Mesa, the density of trails is 1.8 miles per square mile. This California town has one park or preserve, 5 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mountain Mesa Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most people who work leave Mountain Mesa to do it: just 14% work in town. For residents in the town, the share who live below the poverty line is 17%. Jobs in Mountain Mesa grew by 100 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 400. Its typical household income stands at $65,000.
| Mountain Mesa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2023. Mountain Mesa’s FEMA hazard score comes in at 93 of 100. 41% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 38%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The seasons in Mountain Mesa: mild winters, hot summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearly a fifth of adults smoke cigarettes in Mountain Mesa. Against the California average, Mountain Mesa comes out ahead on 3 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 20.
| Mountain Mesa | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 31% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Mountain Mesa | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8% | 10.6% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.4% | 71.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.8% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The share of households in Mountain Mesa who own their home: 77%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Mountain Mesa; the nearest are
About 7 of every 100 Mountain Mesa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Mountain Mesa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in California, United States
Mountain Mesa (often shortened to Mt. Mesa) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Mountain Mesa is located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of South Lake at an elevation of 2,641 feet (805 m). The population was 823 at the 2020 census, up from 777 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.
Mountain Mesa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. 600 people live in this town in California.