11 Best Places to Retire in California

10. Kern

Score: 12

Median home price: $153,900

Cost of living index: 98.6

Crime index: 62

Doctors per 100k: 130

Average commute time: 23.59

In the Central Valley, you’ll find Kern County, which is home to close to 840,000 people. Ranging from the Coast Range to the Sierra Nevada in the Mojave Desert, the county covers some 8,161 square miles. This is mostly a place that’s specialized in agriculture and petroleum extraction so you shouldn’t be surprised to see special equipment close by. You’ll also find the Mojave Air and Space Port in the area, as well as the Edwards Air Force Base and the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, making it an important hub for the military, aviation and space personnel.

The area’s median home price is close to $154,000, which isn’t that terrible, while the cost of living index is below the national average, sitting at 98.6. The average commute time is 23 minutes, so it’s not that terrible.

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