City safety & data profile

WascoCA

Wasco, CA is a 26K-resident city in Kern County with a median household income of $51,727.

Kern County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Wasco, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Wasco has a population larger than 58% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $273,600.

Data updated 2026-07-20

26K
Population
Top 42%
By size
$51,727
Median income
$273,600
Median home
18.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Wasco

Wasco posts a median household income higher than 11% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 89%
by median income, US cities

Where Wasco income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$51,727 Bottom 11% higher than 11% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Wasco, CA beyond the headline numbers

Wasco sits inside Kern County, California, at roughly 35.59°N, -119.34°W. Population 26,279, $51,727 median household income. Median home value $273,600, median rent $1,089. Poverty rate 18.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Wasco's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 41.2%, then obesity at 38.9%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Wasco from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
26,279
Wasco
Median Income
$51,727
-24% vs avg
Median Home Value
$273,600
+20% vs avg
Median Age
30.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Kern County) - Wasco's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
915K+8%
Median Income
$70,210+45%
Median Home Value
$338,300+109%
Poverty Rate
19.1%-17%
Unemployment
8.6%-37%

Economics

Economics indicators for Wasco, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,089/mo
Poverty Rate
18.4% +30% vs avg
Unemployment 7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 6.2%
Work From Home 2.9%
Public Transit 0.2%

Population

White 18.5%
African American 4.4%
Asian 0.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
41.2%
Obesity
38.9%
Physical Inactivity
36.8%
High Blood Pressure
29.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
26.1%
Frequent Mental Distress
21.2%
Binge Drinking
18.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.1%
Current Smoking
15.7%
Diabetes
13.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 45.2%
Annual Checkup 65.7%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
9.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.4%
Stroke
3.1%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Wasco, CA? ▼
Wasco, CA has a population of 26,279 people, located in Kern County, California.
What is the median household income in Wasco? ▼
The median household income in Wasco, CA is $51,727 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 18.4%.
What is the median home value in Wasco? ▼
The median home value in Wasco, CA is $273,600. Median rent is $1,089/month.
What are the top health concerns in Wasco? ▼
The top health indicators in Wasco include Short Sleep Duration (41.2%), Obesity (38.9%), Physical Inactivity (36.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Wasco? ▼
The median age in Wasco, CA is 30.6 years. 6.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Wasco, CA is located in Kern County, California. With a population of 26K and a $51,727 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Safety alerts for the Wasco area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Shafter, CA 18K McFarland, CA 14K Delano, CA 53K Rosedale, CA 14K Oildale, CA 33K Bakersfield, CA 374K Lamont, CA 15K Corcoran, CA 22K
All cities in California → Compare Wasco vs Shafter → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Wasco's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Wasco area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Wasco against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Kern County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.