Palmdale highlight
Aerospace industry
Home to three major aerospace contractors including Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Northrop Grumman, operating on Air Force Plant 42 since 1954.
Palmdale became a center of aerospace manufacturing when Lockheed Aircraft leased 237 acres of Air Force Plant 42 in 1956 for final assembly and flight testing of jet aircraft. The site, officially designated as Plant 42 on January 8, 1942, has hosted continuous aerospace operations since then. Today, Northrop Grumman occupies approximately 66 percent of the site, while Lockheed Martin operates a major final assembly facility, and Boeing maintains a significant presence in Palmdale's aerospace corridor.
The aircraft built here have shaped military aviation history. Palmdale's facilities have produced and tested the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which first flew from Palmdale on July 17, 1989, and continues production and maintenance operations today. More recently, the B-21 Raider stealth bomber rolled out in December 2022 with its first flight test aircraft departing Palmdale on November 10, 2023. Beyond defense aircraft, the city has developed an aerospace supply chain, with the City Council expanding incentive programs to $500,000 maximum awards for new construction to attract companies like AS Aerospace, which broke ground on a 90,000-square-foot facility in October 2025.
Aerospace careers often mean technical expertise that commands strong income, and technicians and engineers in Palmdale's aircraft industry are the foundation of middle-class households. Coverage sized to protect that income stream during the years a mortgage is outstanding and children are at home is the straightforward version of financial responsibility. A term policy comparison, updated when a job changes or a family grows, keeps the amount matched to the need.