2025 Compare Cities Economy:
Vista, CA vs Ridgecrest, CA

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Highlights
- Household income in Ridgecrest, is 2% less than it is in Vista and is 11% above the National Average.
- Vista unemployment rate is 7.3%.
- Ridgecrest unemployment rate is 4.1%.
 Vista, CARidgecrest, CAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock1.2%1.6%
 Future Job Growth34.4%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes8.3%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock8.0%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$33,142  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$77,534$69,021
 Family Median Income$87,438  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Vista, CARidgecrest, CAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock11.1%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K2.6%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock5.5%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K6.9%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock7.1%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K7.8%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock9.2%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K13.5%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock19.4%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K9.6%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock8.0%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Vista, CARidgecrest, CAUnited States
 Management, business, finance11.9%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock20.3%6.5%
 Community, social services1.5%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.0%1.2%
 Education, library4.1%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock1.2%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology3.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.8%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.4%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock4.4%5.4%
 Building maintenance6.9%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.5%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support22.3%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.5%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair11.0%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock12.2%13.1%
Reviews for Vista    21 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

I bought a house in Vista, CA, and lived there since 2013-2017. My kids and I loved that area (Shadow Ridge). People are friendly, down-to-earth, not snobby. I would  More

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I've lived here 3 years and it has an unbeatable climate. Close to everything you could want. A renovated downtown and access to mass transit. Very nice place, friendly  More

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Truly a hidden gem - I was nervous after first moving since it seemed far from San Diego, but my concerns have been fully alleviated in just a couple months of time in  More

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Reviews for Ridgecrest    7 Reviews

For context, I grew up in Ridgecrest and moved away after graduating high school. I have since lived in LA and the Bay Area but I visit RC often. RC is in the high  More

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Ridgecrest and Kern County are red state bastions in a land of blue voting counties. If you want a concealed weapons permit, you'll get it. Want to own any firearm  More

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Over 13 years ago

The hardest thing to get used to in Ridgecrest is the weather. It can get quite windy. And hot. 115 hot. But it's a dry heat! It does cool off in the evening, and it  More

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