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COUNTY

Kern County

California · 927,068 residents (2025 est.) · 8,134.673 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#62Largest by populationof 3,144927,068#111Most foreign-born residentsof 3,14420.2%#126Youngest by median ageof 3,14432.7
The short version

Kern County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $70,210. Population has grown 38% since 2000. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $338,300. At a median age of 32.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
915,075
+38%since 2000
from 661,645 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
112 / sq mi
+17%since 2009
from 96 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.7
+7%since 2000
from 30.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:927,068 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
506K618K729K841K952K1990201020202024Kern County
2024915K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(64,206)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.9%(72,051)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.6%(78,795)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.9%(72,460)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247%(63,994)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.1%(138,030)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.5%(123,165)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.9%(99,927)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.3%(93,887)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.3%(67,254)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.3%(30,538)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(10,768)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,210
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,446 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,699
+88%since 2000
from $15,760 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.0%
+18.1 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.458
+1%since 2010
from 0.452 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing12.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Construction10.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance7.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services3.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Manufacturing2.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$338,300
+108%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,300
+38%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
60.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 62.1% in 2000
39.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
29.6%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
−2%since 2009
from 4.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
32
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Kern County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic49.5%(327,190)
Black5.7%(37,845)
Hispanic / Latino38.4%(254,036)
Asian3.2%(21,177)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic29.6%(270,456)
Black4.8%(43,987)
Hispanic / Latino56.5%(516,662)
Asian5.1%(46,223)
Other4.1%(37,747)
Diversity Score
73
−3%since 2009
from 76 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
47
−4%since 2020
from 49 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican50.4%(461,006)
Central American2.8%(25,325)
Salvadoran1.5%(14,137)
Guatemalan0.8%(7,363)
South American0.5%(4,792)
Puerto Rican0.5%(4,629)
Spaniard0.4%(3,410)
Honduran0.3%(2,486)
Peruvian0.2%(2,044)
Cuban0.2%(1,432)
Colombian0.1%(996)
Nicaraguan0.1%(617)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(521)
Venezuelan0.1%(514)
Ecuadorian0.1%(466)
Argentine0%(389)
Chilean0%(202)
Uruguayan0%(97)
Bolivian0%(34)
Asian origin
Filipino2.2%(19,684)
Asian Indian1.5%(13,983)
Chinese0.4%(3,635)
Vietnamese0.3%(2,908)
Korean0.2%(1,958)
Japanese0.1%(1,226)
Cambodian0.1%(1,014)
Pakistani0.1%(462)
Thai0%(342)
Laotian0%(296)
Hmong0%(259)
Burmese0%(221)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(155)
Indonesian0%(119)
Taiwanese0%(116)
Kazakh0%(30)
Malaysian0%(27)
Uzbek0%(27)
Mongolian0%(26)
Mien0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(2,388)
Samoan0.1%(578)
Chamorro0%(449)
Fijian0%(325)
Tongan0%(62)
Guamanian0%(38)
Ancestry
German5.7%(51,740)
English5.6%(50,850)
Irish4.8%(43,877)
American3.5%(31,638)
Italian1.9%(17,688)
Scottish1%(9,579)
French1%(8,974)
Arab0.7%(6,532)
Polish0.6%(5,332)
Dutch0.5%(4,499)
Norwegian0.5%(4,432)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.4%(3,984)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(3,535)
Portuguese0.4%(3,327)
Welsh0.3%(2,716)
Danish0.2%(2,047)
Russian0.2%(2,002)
British0.2%(1,916)
West Indian0.2%(1,653)
Greek0.2%(1,562)
Armenian0.2%(1,378)
Turkish0.2%(1,376)
Egyptian0.1%(1,227)
Hungarian0.1%(1,219)
Swiss0.1%(1,126)
French Canadian0.1%(1,036)
Czech0.1%(880)
Nigerian0.1%(876)
Ukrainian0.1%(755)
Canadian0.1%(684)
Syrian0.1%(629)
Palestinian0.1%(615)
Ghanaian0.1%(554)
Romanian0.1%(532)
Jamaican0.1%(473)
Lebanese0%(452)
Lithuanian0%(448)
Iranian0%(417)
Croatian0%(408)
Austrian0%(398)
Jordanian0%(374)
Finnish0%(365)
Haitian0%(237)
Belgian0%(212)
Brazilian0%(210)
Slovak0%(209)
Australian0%(183)
Latvian0%(166)
Slovene0%(146)
Moroccan0%(96)
Ethiopian0%(95)
Kenyan0%(90)
Serbian0%(68)
Bulgarian0%(30)
Israeli0%(13)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.8%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 13.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
77.0%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 68.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.4 min
+55%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 75.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.4%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.5%
+4.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 12.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.9%
−25.8 ptssince 2009
from 55.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Female
49.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Foreign born
20.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.9%
−46.8 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 12.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.8%
−72.0 ptssince 2013
from 79.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+17.7 ptssince 2017
from 73.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
54.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2016
from 56.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
40.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 39.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43%(152,950)
Married47.2%(167,852)
Widowed2.2%(7,790)
Divorced7.7%(27,318)
Women 15+
Never married36.1%(124,122)
Married46.4%(159,779)
Widowed7.3%(25,109)
Divorced10.2%(35,103)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Kern County to nearby counties

KERN COUNTY VS
Tulare County
Income$71,300+2%
Home value$330,100−2%
Population485,146−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+56%
Home value$822,700+143%
Population830,851−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Kings County
Income$70,995+1%
Home value$324,300−4%
Population154,327−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+28%
Home value$834,200+147%
Population9,694,934+946%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kern County, California?

Kern County, California has about 915,075 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kern County, California?

The typical household in Kern County, California earns about $70,210 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kern County, California expensive?

In Kern County, California, the median home is worth about $338,300, and the typical rent is about $1,300 a month.

How educated are people in Kern County, California?

About 18.8% of adults age 25 and over in Kern County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kern County, California?

About 19.1% of people in Kern County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kern County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Kern County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 371,598 residents, a change of about 68 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

236 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 32.20Census Tract 48.02Census Tract 38.14Census Tract 62.02Census Tract 32.08Census Tract 28.20Census Tract 32.18Census Tract 32.12Census Tract 35Census Tract 28.16Census Tract 47.04Census Tract 31.12Census Tract 46.07Census Tract 58.04Census Tract 12.02Census Tract 38.06Census Tract 38.15Census Tract 32.21Census Tract 41.01Census Tract 60.03
47 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 93307ZIP 93306ZIP 93309ZIP 93313ZIP 93312ZIP 93311ZIP 93308ZIP 93215ZIP 93304ZIP 93305ZIP 93314ZIP 93555ZIP 93561ZIP 93280ZIP 93263ZIP 93560ZIP 93203ZIP 93268ZIP 93250ZIP 93241ZIP 93505ZIP 93301ZIP 93501ZIP 93240ZIP 93523ZIP 93581ZIP 93285ZIP 93516ZIP 93222ZIP 93283
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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