CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Kern County

California · 909,235 residents · 8,135 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Bakersfield metro area
Compare
The short version

With 909,235 people, Kern County is a county in California. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 17% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 32.8. The population is up 37% since 2000. Households here earn about 30% less than in California as a whole. The poverty rate is 20.4%, above the 12.8% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 32.8
US median: 38.8
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
909,235
+37%since 2000
from 661,645 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
32.8
+7%since 2000
from 30.6 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
8,135 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
506K618K729K841K952K19902000201020202024Kern County
2024915K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 57%(63,450)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98%(72,533)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 148.5%(77,389)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.8%(70,740)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(63,042)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(135,594)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.1%(119,229)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.1%(100,606)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.9%(99,464)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.3%(66,492)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.3%(30,375)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.1%(10,321)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,851
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,446 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$23,855
+51%since 2000
from $15,760 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
36.7%
+7.8 ptssince 2009
from 28.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
20.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Agriculture, forestry, fishing14.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction11.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Information10.5%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Retail trade5.4%
US avg: 10%
Professional, scientific, technical5.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Manufacturing3%
US avg: 0.5%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration2.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$226,600
+69%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,400 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$994
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
59.2%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 62.1% in 2000
40.8% rent
Persons per household
3.15 people
+1%since 2009
from 3.11 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.1
−16%since 2009
from 4.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic30.8%(279,600)
Black5.1%(46,776)
Hispanic / Latino54.9%(499,158)
Asian4.9%(44,257)
Other3.2%(28,875)
Segregation Score
49
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
Mexican49.1%(438,317)
Salvadoran1.2%(11,038)
Puerto Rican0.5%(4,889)
Guatemalan0.5%(4,298)
Spaniard0.4%(3,736)
South American0.3%(2,918)
Honduran0.2%(2,109)
Colombian0.1%(1,025)
Cuban0.1%(976)
Peruvian0.1%(759)
Nicaraguan0%(328)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0%(232)
Argentine0%(225)
Bolivian0%(222)
Chilean0%(192)
Ecuadorian0%(178)
Dominican0%(127)
Panamanian0%(110)
Uruguayan0%(33)
Asian origin
Filipino2.1%(18,672)
Asian Indian1.2%(10,781)
Chinese0.4%(3,874)
Vietnamese0.3%(2,310)
Korean0.2%(1,828)
Cambodian0.1%(950)
Japanese0.1%(800)
Laotian0.1%(570)
Burmese0%(325)
Thai0%(256)
Hmong0%(223)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pakistani0%(151)
Taiwanese0%(141)
Malaysian0%(113)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(2,153)
Samoan0.1%(759)
Chamorro0.1%(552)
Fijian0%(217)
Tongan0%(127)
Ancestry
German6.4%(57,055)
English4.9%(43,423)
Irish4.8%(43,099)
American3.6%(32,291)
Italian2.1%(19,020)
French1.2%(10,824)
Scottish1%(9,143)
Norwegian0.6%(5,510)
Swedish0.6%(5,432)
Dutch0.6%(5,416)
Polish0.6%(5,236)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(4,654)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.4%(3,537)
Portuguese0.3%(3,050)
British0.3%(2,885)
West Indian0.3%(2,278)
Russian0.2%(2,171)
Danish0.2%(2,011)
French Canadian0.2%(1,596)
Armenian0.2%(1,435)
Canadian0.2%(1,399)
Arab0.2%(1,346)
Greek0.1%(1,276)
Turkish0.1%(1,239)
Swiss0.1%(1,190)
Jamaican0.1%(1,068)
Finnish0.1%(998)
Hungarian0.1%(919)
Ukrainian0.1%(894)
Czech0.1%(804)
Egyptian0.1%(800)
Nigerian0.1%(544)
Croatian0.1%(534)
Iranian0.1%(481)
Lebanese0.1%(470)
Lithuanian0%(444)
Austrian0%(440)
Syrian0%(382)
Belgian0%(363)
Romanian0%(321)
Latvian0%(254)
Haitian0%(218)
Jordanian0%(214)
Brazilian0%(189)
Moroccan0%(178)
Israeli0%(116)
Ghanaian0%(97)
Slovak0%(92)
Serbian0%(91)
Kenyan0%(83)
Slovene0%(70)
Ethiopian0%(70)
Bulgarian0%(37)
Somali0%(26)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.1%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
75.3%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 68.5% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
5.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 4.5% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+50%since 2000
from 15.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.1%
+5.1 ptssince 2009
from 75.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
9.1%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 12.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
58.0%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
63.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
28.2%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 25.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Female
48.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Foreign born
19.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.7%
−12.5 ptssince 2013
from 20.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.4%
US average: 86.2%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.7%
−12.5 ptssince 2013
from 20.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
44.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
8.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
12.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
39.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
51.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
48.7%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.4%(8,622)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)22.3%(7,878)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era33.1%(11,706)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.3%(2,561)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.2%(774)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 35,324 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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+30%
Home value$330,100+46%
Population485,146−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Ventura County
Income$109,797+100%
Home value$822,700+263%
Population830,851−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Kings County
Income$70,995+29%
Home value$324,300+43%
Population154,327−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KERN COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+64%
Home value$834,200+268%
Population9,694,934+946%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kern County, California?

Kern County, California has about 909,235 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Kern County, California earns about $54,851 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 $226,600, and the typical rent is about $994 a month.

How educated are people in Kern County, California?

About 17.1% 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 20.4% 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 365,758 residents, a change of about 67 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →