There's an Indie rock band named after this city. It's called - wait for it - Earlimart, formed by bandmates Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray. The group has released several full-length albums and has even had some of their songs appear in feature films and television series.
Earlimart is a census-designated place with about 8,537 residents, at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. It is sandwiched somewhere between Fresno and Bakersfield, not far from Interstate 5. As you might guess, it's a small area, yet it is just large enough to have its own library branch. Sure, it's tiny and has limited hours, but it's also among the most active country branches around. If you stick around long enough to find an apartment in Earlimart, you can check out the local library on your own, along with the other attractions in and around this area.
Moving to Earlimart
Housing Prices
When you start looking for home rentals in this area, you will immediately notice something shocking: the prices here are below even the national average. That's pretty much unheard of for a town in California! Whether you want to buy a home or are looking for housing for rent, you will see that the prices for homes are about half the national average.
That means even if you budgeted for only a cozy studio, you should start checking out 3 bedroom apartments here. And if you planned on finding a rental house, you can let your eye wander over to the listings for mansions. Hey, now that you are about to move to Earlimart, you can definitely consider it! After all, even the cost of living here is lower than the country's average, so your dollar will go farther.
Looking for a Home
The housing prices make it puzzling that the vacancy rate is only about average. It should be practically zero! Oh well, more homes for you to choose from, right? But before you head to the apartment complex or subdivision of homes you are interested in, grab a summary of your rental history, your last two pay stubs and your checkbook or credit card for any necessary deposits. The latter is especially important if you have pets that will live with you!
Housing Types
Earlimart is classified as a suburban area with a walk score of about 50 out of 100. So it's fairly walkable, but life is certainly easier here when you have access to a car. As far as the homes you will find in Earlimart, expect mostly single-family houses, with a very small amount of town homes, mobile homes and apartment complexes.
The good news is that the homes here are not ancient, considering that most of them were built between about 1940 and 1999. So if you want something brand new or historic, you might not be excited about the housing here. But if you are okay with gently used homes or houses with around 60 years of history behind them, Earlimart will make you happy!
Earlimart Neighborhoods
This area is pretty small, with around two square miles in which to squeeze all its housing and businesses. Maybe that's why there are no distinct neighborhoods here. However, you should still get to know what's in each part of Earlimart before you choose a home.
Northern: If you want to live a smidge closer to Fresno, you can pick a home here. The Golden State Highway cuts right through Earlimart, making it easy to go north and south. While this area has mostly homes, there is easy access to Port of Subs and Taqueria El Sol De Jalisco!
Southern: If you plan to drive south to Bakersfield or Delano, you'll want to live here. Some of the businesses in this part of Earlimart include El Mazatlan, Sanad Freeze, Earlimart Market, and La Princesa Bakery. So that means if you want to live very close to many options when it comes to food, move here!
Eastern: This puts you slightly closer to the Sequoia National Forest, which is about 2.5 hours east of Earlimart. But you'll have a head start compared to residents of the western section of town! Plus, you will be near Country True Value Hardware, Earlimart Branch Library, and Pizza and Wings. Those are some pretty nice perks.
Western: When you live closer to the western part of town, you have fast access to Sam's Market. And you'll also be a few minutes closer to Interstate 5. When you are a California resident, this is a good thing!
Living in Earlimart
On its own, Earlimart is not exactly a huge tourist destination. It's a cute town; but it's not exactly hopping when it comes to major attractions. That's okay, because it has a pretty good location near some major California cities, and some helpful freeways to take you there.
For instance, if you drive just 40 minutes south on California State Route 99/Golden State Highway, you'll hit Bakersfield. Aside from being a huge California city, it is also the home of several malls, such as Valley Plaza, East Hills Mall, The Marketplace and Golden State Mall. On the way to Bakersfield, about 10 minutes into your trip, you will go through the decent-sized city of Delano, which has a good amount of stores, eateries and other attractions. Keep going south for two hours and you will land in Los Angeles.
Want to try heading north on the freeway? Drive for an hour and you will end up in Fresno, which features Fashion Fair Mall, Fulton Mall, Island Waterpark, and hundreds of places to eat and socialize. If you are up for more than a day trip north, plan on heading into Sacramento or San Francisco. It's just a 3.5-hour drive!
Of course, despite its small size, Earlimart does have some attractions that local residents can enjoy. One of the main attractions is Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Its history started in 1908, when Colonel Allen Allensworth helped found a town that would be governed and paid for by African Americans. Now at this park, you can see some of the buildings from the town, such as the school, the Colonel's house, and a library. Visitors often get inspired when they learn the history of the tiny town, so if you are looking for some motivation to finally achieve your dreams, maybe all you need is a trip to this park in Earlimart!