The Town FilesCottonwood, California
Community in Kern County · population 3,971 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $321,600
- Household income
- $44,247
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 97°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 18.3
Cottonwood is a community of 3,971 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $321,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 84% of California towns.
How Cottonwood ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cottonwood is worth $321,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.3 times the median household income of $44,247, which is more affordable than 37% of California towns. Median rent is $1,029 a month. 16.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cottonwood | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $321,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,029 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $44,247 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 16.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cottonwood
| People | Cottonwood | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 18.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 6.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 49.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.8% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 46.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 23.9% | — |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Cottonwood
July highs average 97.4°F and January lows 38.9°F. About 6.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 110 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 17 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on May 6, 2013 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 6, 2013.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on February 17, 1997.
Severe weather in Kern County since 1996
Kern County has been included in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2024 | Fire | FM-5522: Borel Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| August 25, 2021 | Fire | FM-5416: French Fire |
Jobs and pay in Kern County
Kern County had 347,664 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,066 a year. Unemployment was 8.3% in 2023; in Cottonwood itself the ACS puts it at 16%.
Towns near Cottonwood
- Potomac Park, CA1.7 mi · 9,164 people · home $219,600
- Benton Park, CA2.5 mi · 5,333 people · home $240,600
- East Bakersfield, CA2.7 mi · 9,749 people · home $208,700
- Hillcrest, CA2.8 mi · 10,528 people · home $272,700
- Rexland Acres, CA2.9 mi · 3,563 people · home $200,200
- Bakersfield, CA3.0 mi · 403,455 people · home $371,700
- Old Stine, CA3.4 mi · 3,841 people · home $235,400
- La Cresta, CA3.6 mi · 8,787 people · home $262,000
Cottonwood questions
Is Cottonwood, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cottonwood scores better for retirees than 1% of California towns and quieter than 6%. 6.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 18.3).
How much does a house cost in Cottonwood?
The median owner-occupied home in Cottonwood is valued at $321,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $44,247, so homes cost about 7.3 times income. Median rent is $1,029 a month.
What is the weather like in Cottonwood?
July highs average 97.4°F and January lows 38.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 6.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Cottonwood get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on May 6, 2013. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)