Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 34,687, settled in 1916.
Oildale earns a D−, 736th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. The median household income is $51K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 76% of U.S. towns. Oildale’s July high is 100°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Only 94 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. The biggest park or preserve is Riverview Park, at 20 acres.
Where Oildale beats most towns.
32,684 counted in 2010 and 36,135 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Oildale is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 20,879 in 1970, 36,135 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 6 maps from 1906 on.
Oildale 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 Oildale.
Oildale carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly earthquakes), has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Against the 6,237 U.S. towns with household incomes like Oildale’s, it is less healthy than 67%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
23% of Oildale adults report frequent mental distress. Among 847 California towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Oildale. 18% of Oildale adults report frequent physical distress.
| Oildale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Oildale | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21% | 10.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 5.1% |
| More smokers | 18.7% | 10.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,005 | – |
| North HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,135 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Oildale for work: only 9% work in town. 4.9% of workers work from home in Oildale. The top destinations are Bakersfield (37%), Los Angeles (4%) and Shafter (2%).
| Oildale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Bakersfield Ap weather station records that about 112 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 99.5°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.9°.
Oildale has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The January low in Oildale is 40°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 89% of California towns, with expected losses of about $229 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Oildale’s FEMA risk score is 56 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Oildale | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Meadows Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
| 2. Standard Park | 0.4 mi | 16 |
| 3. North Highland Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The median property tax bill is $2,451, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median sale price was $298,000 in May 2026.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oildale. Close and well known come first.
4 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
3 mi MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year
39 mi MuseumFort Tejon
30 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year8 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
4 mi MuseumBakersfield Museum of ArtDignity Health Arena: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Kern County Museum: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Tejon: Yellowute at English Wikipedia, Public domain · César E. Chávez National Monument: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Bakersfield Museum of Art: Skyman9999. Skyman9999, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Oildale
About 4 of every 100 Oildale residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Oildale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in California, United States
Oildale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Oildale is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-northwest of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 469 feet (143 m). The population was 32,684 at the 2010 census, up from 27,885 at the 2000 census. In the 2020 census, Oildale's population was 35,520. It is an unincorporated suburban town just north of Bakersfield across the Kern River, west of the Kern River Oil Field, and east of Highway 99.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Oildale.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oildale | #736 | D− | C− | — | C | D |
| Bakersfield | #780 | D− | D− | D | C | C |
Oildale reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Oildale with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oildale grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #736 of 841 in California. It grades D for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $239,000, 69% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
