Kern County is one XL-sized slab of the Golden State. It rolls from the heart of the Central Valley to cover the southern tail end of the Sierra Nevada, encompassing big cities and wild reserves as it goes. It’s a place where you can be hopping cafes in the buzzy heart of Bakersfield by morning and hiking amid the towering hardwoods of the Sequoia National Forest by afternoon. Oh, and here’s another kicker: This county has just been named the absolute best place to retire to in the American West.
Yep, in a study by the personal finance and investment website The Motley Fool, Kern County trumped all other spots from Colorado westward, emerging as the pick of the bunch for retirees on account of good metrics for things like healthcare provisions, crime rates, and climate. And that’s not it, either. Other publications have highlighted how specific Kern County towns can prove a whole lot more affordable for retirees than the famous cities on the Cali coast, while Bakersfield, the biggest city in Kern, has been lauded as one of the cheapest spots in the state.
The other good thing to remember as you consider upping sticks and moving to Kern County is that it’s a pretty easy-to-get-to corner of California. Fast highway links mean you can get in from key cities on the coast in just a few hours — Los Angeles is under 2 hours’ drive to the south, while San Francisco is 4.5 hours’ drive up Interstate 5. The huge international and domestic flight hub of Los Angeles International (LAX) is also just a touch over 2 hours from Kern.
The vibrant towns and cities that anchor Kern County
There’s one clear urban hub of Kern County: Bakersfield. At the time of writing, it has a population that’s eight times higher than the next biggest town in the county. It also sits close to the geographic heart of the county, with busy Interstate 5 whizzing north to south just to the west of it. More than that, it’s seen as a surprisingly affordable and pleasant place to retire in California, offering — according to the online rental marketplace Apartments.com — a cost of living that’s nearly 50% cheaper than San Francisco!…