CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Kern County

California · 661,645 residents · 8,134.673 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Bakersfield metro area
Compare
The short version

Kern County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $35,446. Population has grown 22% since 1990. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 24%. Median home value is $89,400. At a median age of 30.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 25% less than the California median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 30.6
US median: 35.2
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 18%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
661,645
+22%since 1990
from 543,477 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
81 / sq mi
+22%since 1990
from 67 / sq mi in 1990
US average: 242
Median age
30.6
+3%since 1990
from 29.8 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
506K618K729K841K952K1990201020202024Kern County
2024915K
1990201020202024
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,446
−6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $28,634 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,760
+30%since 1990
from $12,154 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
20.8%
+3.8 ptssince 1990
from 16.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$89,400
−18%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $82,400 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$518
−11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $440 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
62.1%
+2.8 ptssince 1990
from 59.3% in 1990
37.9% rent
Afford Score
2.5
−12%since 1990
from 2.9 in 1990
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Kern County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic69.8%(379,583)
Black5.5%(29,679)
Hispanic / Latino27.7%(150,558)
Asian3%(16,390)
Diversity Score77.8%(422,967)
2000
White, non-Hispanic49.5%(327,190)
Black5.7%(37,845)
Hispanic / Latino38.4%(254,036)
Asian3.2%(21,177)
Diversity Score72.1%(477,064)
Diversity Score
72
−7%since 1990
from 78 in 1990
1990 – 2024
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.5%
+0.2 ptssince 1990
from 13.3% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
68.5%
+0.8 ptssince 1990
from 67.6% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
4.5%
+0.3 ptssince 1990
from 4.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.7 min
−15%since 1990
from 18.5 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Kern County

Pinellas County
Pop 948,563
Erie County
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+101%
Home value$330,100+269%
Population485,146−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+210%
Home value$822,700+820%
Population830,851−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Kings County
Income$70,995+100%
Home value$324,300+263%
Population154,327−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+154%
Home value$834,200+833%
Population9,694,934+946%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kern County, California?

Kern County, California has about 661,645 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Kern County, California earns about $35,446 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 $89,400, and the typical rent is about $518 a month.

How educated are people in Kern County, California?

About 13.5% 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 20.8% 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 118,168 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

Keep going

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
Up the hierarchy
All counties in California
Rankings
Highest income countiesLowest poverty counties

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →