The Town FilesDelano, California
City in Kern County · population 51,428 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $301,900
- Household income
- $67,010
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 97°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 33.9
Delano is a city of 51,428 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $301,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 75% of California towns.
How Delano 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 Delano is worth $301,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $67,010, which is more affordable than 85% of California towns. Median rent is $1,199 a month. 62.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Delano | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $301,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,199 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $67,010 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 62.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.1% | — |
Who lives in Delano
| People | Delano | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 1.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 35.2% | — |
| Work from home | 2.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Delano
July highs average 97.3°F and January lows 37.7°F. About 7.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 116 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 18 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Delano since 1950.
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 Delano itself the ACS puts it at 13.9%.
Public schools in Delano
18 public schools with 12,321 students, about 21.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wonderful College Prep Academy (charter) | K-12 | 1,857 | 21.8 |
| Robert F. Kennedy High | 9-12 | 1,365 | 22.8 |
| Cesar E. Chavez High | 9-12 | 1,351 | 22.9 |
| Delano High | 9-12 | 1,225 | 21.5 |
| Pioneer | K-8 | 977 | 20.8 |
| Nueva Vista Language Academy (charter) | K-6 | 706 | 20.2 |
| Cecil Avenue Math and Science Academy (charter) | 6-8 | 609 | 23.4 |
| Almond Tree Middle | 6-8 | 526 | 18.1 |
| Del Vista Math and Science Academy (charter) | K-5 | 524 | 21.8 |
| La Vina Middle | 6-8 | 522 | 20.9 |
| Morningside | K-5 | 493 | 22.4 |
| Fremont Elementary | K-5 | 457 | 21.8 |
Towns near Delano
- McFarland, CA7.1 mi · 14,161 people · home $272,700
- Earlimart, CA8.6 mi · 7,679 people · home $264,200
- Wasco, CA13.3 mi · 27,047 people · home $273,600
- Pixley, CA14.7 mi · 3,828 people · home $242,200
- Terra Bella, CA18.4 mi · 2,910 people · home $236,500
- Shafter, CA20.1 mi · 19,953 people · home $335,800
- Tipton, CA20.3 mi · 2,519 people · home $243,900
- Porterville, CA24.2 mi · 62,623 people · home $285,700
Delano questions
Is Delano, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Delano scores better for retirees than 9% of California towns and quieter than 26%. 10.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.9).
How much does a house cost in Delano?
The median owner-occupied home in Delano is valued at $301,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,010, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $1,199 a month.
What is the weather like in Delano?
July highs average 97.3°F and January lows 37.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 7.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Delano get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Delano in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)