Why look at Barstow?
- Moderately priced housing. Median home is $264k.
- Stable market. Home values -2.5% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
- Higher tax state. Top marginal income tax rate around 13.3% — factor into salary comparisons.
Where Barstow stands
Population shrinking 0.5% per year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 15.4 price-to-rent ratio, Barstow is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for San Bernardino County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. San Bernardino County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Run the numbers for Barstow
California context
Schools
Barstow is served by 12 public schools enrolling about 6,439 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 24.6:1 — larger classes than the US average of ~15:1. Public-school facts are from the NCES Common Core of Data; check ratings and attendance boundaries by exact address below.
Ratings, districts & boundaries:
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Barstow listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Find more cities like Barstow
Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Barstow’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.
Find more like Barstow →Cities similar to Barstow
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.
Cost-of-ownership at the median
Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.
Schools & crime context
School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.
California: 499 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.
Compare to where you live now
Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.
Getting here by train
Barstow is served by an Amtrak train station — Harvey House Rail Depot. Use the map to find it, and open its Google profile for photos, hours, and reviews.
Jobs & hiring
In Barstow, unemployment runs higher at 11.9%, and hiring momentum has been modest. The strongest local sectors are skilled trades & manufacturing, hospitality & tourism and tech.
Search current openings: