| Weather | | How much crime? | | What are the neighborhoods like? | | What are the people like? |
| The winters in Barstow are cold, usually 30 degrees at night to 60's during the day. There is hardly if ever any snow. There is very little rain. summers are very hot, usually well over 100 degrees for many days. | | Barstow has been named one of the poorest towns in California. Therefore crime is primarily burglar and robberies. Mostly local stores and private residences are the 'victims'. The Barstow Sheriff has just recently, teamed up with the San Bernardino Sheriff to help alleviate the crime. | | Since Barstow is mainly a low income area, the neighborhoods are Section 8, low income and assisted living with about 30% Hispanic. There are few nicer homes in the outlaying areas of town. There is also military housing close to the air force reserve base. | | In spite of being a lower income area, the residents do take pride and are friendly. There is a military base in the vicinity so there is an ethnic mix - 50% Caucasian, the rest is mixed. |
| Downtown Area | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life |
| Downtown is partly a historic site so there are a few tourist -y type of stores and museums. Shopping is located on the outskirts of town. | | Until recently, there were no specialty restaurants, mostly fast food. So with the recent construction of a couple of malls, a few new restaurants and stores have opened up - Olive Garden being one of the most notable. | | The public schools are standard, 8 elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. | | Not a real good spot for singles unless you are in the military. |
| Noise | | town comparison vs. | | Best hospital | | Tourist attractions |
| There is plenty of noise in Barstow. With the major freeway running through and the air base, there is a considerable amount of noise. | | Barstow does have a few historically sites within 30 miles which makes it a bit unique. The Drive-in movie is one of the last of it's kind. There is a Rout 66 and Harvey House Museum run by the Knott's Berry Farm family. Also Calico Ghost Town, a former mining town, which is a huge tourist attraction. | | There is only a small hospital in Barstow. If a person needed major aid, they would have to go to Lancaster which is about 45 minutes to the south. | | The historical sites are fun and interesting to visit. But with the hot summers, you want to visit in the fall or spring. There are some fun areas out of town for off-roading and hiking. |
| General comments | | | | | | |
| The town has a major freeway running through it which connects the Inland Empire area to Las Vegas and other recreational areas. Several tourist stops supply a traveler with many choices of fast food restaurants and gas stations. It is a nice place to drive through. | | | | | | |
