Is Fort Irwin, CA a Good Place to Live?
Fort Irwin is a small town of 8,967 in California, with a median household income of $63,369 and a 15.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.
Strengths: Fort Irwin stands out for solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fort Irwin is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fort Irwin city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 107.9Fort Irwin's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fort Irwin costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fort Irwin, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | N/A | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,483 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 1.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $63,369 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageFort Irwin's violent crime rate is 520.8 per 100,000 residents — 37% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fort Irwin is served primarily by Silver Valley Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fort Irwin, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Silver Valley Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 18.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fort Irwin sees average highs of 61.4°F in January and 105.0°F in July, with 5.2 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fort Irwin, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 61.4°F |
| Average High — July | 105.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 5.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fort Irwin, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,967 | — |
| Median Age | 23.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 15.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 7.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 62.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 12.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 0.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fort Irwin
Fort Irwin, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: