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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Kern County

California · 543,477 residents · 8,134.673 sq mi
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The short version

Kern County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $28,634. Population has fallen 18% since 2000, a loss of 118,168 residents. Median home value is $82,400.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 29.8
US median: 33.0
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
543,477
−18%vs 2000
vs 661,645 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
29.8
−3%vs 2000
vs 30.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
506K618K729K841K952K1990201020202024Kern County
2024915K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 59.6%(52,257)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.6%(51,926)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148%(43,726)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.1%(38,327)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247%(38,032)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418.4%(99,740)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.4%(78,288)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.1%(49,288)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.2%(39,251)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746%(32,528)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843%(16,059)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.7%(4,055)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$28,634
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,446 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,154
−23%vs 2000
vs $15,760 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
16.9%
−3.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 20.8% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$82,400
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $89,400 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$440
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $518 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
59.3%
−2.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 62.1% in 2000
40.7% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic69.8%(379,583)
Black5.5%(29,679)
Hispanic / Latino27.7%(150,558)
Asian3%(16,390)
Other21.7%(117,825)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
13.3%
−0.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 13.5% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
67.6%
−0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 68.5% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.2%
−0.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 4.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.5 min
+18%vs 2000
vs 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Places similar to Kern County

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Pop 948,563
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Pop 946,741
Pima County
Pop 1,074,685
Jefferson County
Pop 795,222
Places similar to Kern County
Head to head

Compare Kern County to nearby counties

KERN COUNTY VS
Tulare County
Income$71,300+149%
Home value$330,100+301%
Population485,146−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+283%
Home value$822,700+898%
Population830,851−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Kings County
Income$70,995+148%
Home value$324,300+294%
Population154,327−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+215%
Home value$834,200+912%
Population9,694,934+946%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kern County, California?

Kern County, California has about 543,477 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Kern County, California earns about $28,634 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 $82,400, and the typical rent is about $440 a month.

How educated are people in Kern County, California?

About 13.3% 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 16.9% of people in Kern County, California live below the federal poverty line.

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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

How we source and harmonize this data →