Barstow and Blythe receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Barstow
Blythe
Opportunity
26 · Bottom 4%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs16 · Bottom 5%
Climate
53 · Bottom 2%
vs53 · Bottom 2%
Physical resilience
7 · Bottom 2%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 30%
vs85 · Top 43%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs59 · Bottom 7%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 9%
vs20 · Bottom 2%
Measured values
| Metric | Barstow | Blythe | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,100 | 17,396 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,380 | $56,625 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,121 | $20,619 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 608/sq mi | 656/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $245,000 | $225,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,091 | $938 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.7% | 57.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.1% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 6 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 105°F | 109°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.8" | 3.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 54 mi | 65 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 19.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.7 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.76 | 22.50 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 77.3% | 82.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Barstow
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Blythe
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Barstow, CA · Blythe, CA · How this is calculated: methodology