Okie camp shack, 1980
Weedpatch’s story
Weedpatch in pictures
Census counts: 1,553 in 1980, 2,206 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 5 maps from 1930 on.
Explore the history →
WeedpatchCA
A town of 2,685 in California.
1 bordering townMap →
Weedpatch Camp · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Population
2,685
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$137K
Census ACS
Household income
$22K
median
Median age
30.9
years
Jobs based here
311
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#659 of 841 in CA
Is Weedpatch a good place to live?
The weak point is health: on CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. At D overall, Weedpatch ranks 659th of 841 in California. On that grade it does better than 7% of U.S. towns. It lags on incomes as well (D): the median household income is $22K, and 46% of residents live below the poverty line. Its best grade is for cost of living: a typical home costs about $137K, 2 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. 47% of residents live below the poverty line in the town, where California’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 8 of the 847 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Weedpatch.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · FEMA National Risk Index.
A shrinking town
Weedpatch has shrunk 17% from 2010 to 2020
2,658 counted in 2010 and 2,206 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Weedpatch grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Weedpatch is from typical.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Kern Medical Center 10.5 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listDOpen →Cost of livingBetter than most of the towns comparedBOpen →SchoolsBehind 57% of California districts on tests and graduationC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.6 of 20; 26.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 Weedpatch: who provides what
Weedpatch is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLamont Public Utility DistNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKern CountyKern County provides services here
SchoolsKern High School DistrictVineland Elementary School District2 districts serve Weedpatch; 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 codes93241, 9330793241 97% · 93307 3%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 Weedpatch.
Weedpatch has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the California rate.
HealthD−
Weedpatch stands out in California and nationally: a larger share of its adults have obesity
In Weedpatch, 54% of adults get no exercise outside work. Only one of the 847 California towns we compare has a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Weedpatch. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Weedpatch is ahead of California on 1 and behind on 27.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Weedpatch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better4 too close to call27 worse
| What stands out | Weedpatch | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.7% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 39.1% | 10.6% |
Kern Medical Center
10.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Weedpatch faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
FEMA puts 64% of Weedpatch’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 24% to inland flooding. Since 1995, Weedpatch has seen 7 flood insurance claims paid out.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingHeat waves
7
paid flood claims since 1995
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, more of Weedpatch’s residents live below the poverty line
Employers in Weedpatch added 47 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 311. Among 846 California towns, just one has a lower middle household income than Weedpatch. For working residents here, the share who work locally is 2.2%. The top destinations are Bakersfield (26%), Los Angeles (7%) and Edmundson Acres (3%).
2%work in town
| Weedpatch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 47% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $22,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Weedpatch2%
Bakersfield26%
Los Angeles7%
Edmundson Acres3%
Lamont3%
16 mi
median commute distance
311
jobs based in Weedpatch
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC
0.2% of Weedpatch is conserved land
2.2 miles of trail. Weedpatch’s density of trails comes in at 0.6 miles per square mile.
#500for trails in CA
| Weedpatch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 5 of 2,275 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Weedpatch: mild winters and hot summers
The Bakersfield Ap weather station, 16 miles away, records that about 112 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 98.9°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.3°.
For Weedpatch, the July high is 99°F. It almost never snows.
99°summer high
| Weedpatch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 99°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–63°
Spring52–79°
Summer68–97°
Fall55–82°
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
99°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
A home in Weedpatch sells for about $322K at the median
At 2 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in any other California town; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. 71.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California.
Among households in Weedpatch, 33% are owner-occupiers. The going rate for rent locally is $915 a month.
$322Kmedian sale price
| Weedpatch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 33% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $915 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Dignity Health Arena and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Weedpatch. Close and well known come first.
11 mi Stadium & arenaDignity Health Arena
25 mi MuseumFort Tejon
19 mi National MonumentCésar E. Chávez National Monument31K visitors a year
13 mi MuseumKern County Museum85K visitors a year14 mi Zoo & aquariumCalifornia Living Museum
11 mi MuseumBakersfield Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Dignity 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Weedpatch
18pages on Weedpatch
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Weedpatch
Bakersfield CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bakersfield12.5 mi$1,430 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-BakersfieldUniversity or college · Public · Bakersfield13.5 mi$8,090 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Weedpatch residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Weedpatch for work
Where Weedpatch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
311jobs based in Weedpatch
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Weedpatch
Census-designated place in California, United States
Weedpatch (formerly Weed Patch and Alexander's Corner) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Weedpatch is 10 miles (16 km) south-southeast of Bakersfield. It is considered to be one of the poorest areas in Kern County. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,206.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 387 ft
- Area code
- 661
Weedpatch’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Weedpatch.
LamontWeedpatch
How the neighbors grade
Weedpatch and Lamont report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Weedpatch with a neighbor →
Questions about Weedpatch
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Weedpatch, CA a good place to live?
Weedpatch grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #659 of 841 in California. It grades D− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Weedpatch, CA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $137,000, 82% 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 B.