County · California

Kern County, California

Kern County, California. Kern County had 927,068 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.0% since 2020, while California shrank 0.5%. It holds 88 places (11 cities, villages and boroughs and 77 census-designated) and 236 census tracts. GEOID 06029.

Kern County is the county of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

927,068

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 909,235 · ACS 2020-2024: 915,075

Median household income

$70,210

±$1,287 (90% margin)
California: $99,122

Median home value

$338,300

±$2,944 (90% margin)
California: $734,700

Median gross rent

$1,300

±$21 (90% margin)
California: $2,036

How many people live in Kern County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 909,235 residents in Kern County. The Census Bureau estimates 927,068 for July 1, 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, while California shrank 0.5%. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 915,075 over 8,135 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +6,805 (912,765)
2021→2022 +4,309 (917,074)
2022→2023 +525 (917,599)
2023→2024 +7,049 (924,648)
2024→2025 +2,420 (927,068)

Kern County in California. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Kern County	California	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	915,075	39,287,377	+27,434
Households	284,931±1,239	13,548,091	+14,649
Average household size	3.12±0.01	2.84	−0.05
Housing units	306,999±246	14,644,735	+8,882

Kern County's population since 2000

From 661,645 in 2000 to 927,068 in 2025: up 40.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 661,645
2005 (estimate) 760,726
2010 Census 839,631
2015 (estimate) 876,548
2020 Census 909,235
2025 (estimate) 927,068

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Kern County?

Kern County holds 88 places: 11 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 77 census-designated places. The largest is Bakersfield with 422,165 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Kern County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Bakersfield	city	403,455	411,986±100	$80,540	$371,700	16.3%	100%
Delano	city	51,428	51,679±39	$67,010	$301,900	16.0%	100%
Oildale	CDP	36,135	34,687±2,262	$51,298	$238,800	25.2%	100%
East Niles	CDP	28,390	28,532±2,476	$55,124	$251,500	28.7%	100%
Ridgecrest	city	27,959	28,225±62	$89,250	$253,900	12.5%	100%
Wasco	city	27,047	26,558±34	$51,727	$273,600	18.4%	100%
Rosamond	CDP	20,961	21,473±1,409	$79,386	$352,600	17.1%	100%
Shafter	city	19,953	21,193±34	$71,215	$335,800	20.7%	100%
Arvin	city	19,495	19,539±39	$49,183	$262,700	34.6%	100%
Rosedale	CDP	18,639	18,877±1,640	$135,966	$608,900	6.4%	100%
California City	city	14,973	14,414±40	$60,113	$278,000	22.8%	100%
McFarland	city	14,161	14,222±23	$54,608	$272,700	24.1%	100%
Lamont	CDP	14,049	13,164±1,203	$37,217	$220,700	35.4%	100%
Tehachapi	city	12,939	11,946±42	$72,957	$355,500	13.9%	100%
Hillcrest	CDP	10,528	10,511±1,151	$46,285	$272,700	31.4%	100%
East Bakersfield	CDP	9,749	11,062±1,477	$38,644	$208,700	42.6%	100%
Golden Hills	CDP	9,578	9,891±1,471	$95,669	$410,300	17.6%	100%
Potomac Park	CDP	9,164	10,138±1,494	$51,166	$219,600	20.9%	100%
La Cresta	CDP	8,787	8,389±1,224	$49,605	$262,000	20.3%	100%
Taft	city	8,546	7,125±17	$72,772	$252,600	16.9%	100%
Bear Valley Springs	CDP	5,592	5,912±660	$120,481	$496,200	4.6%	100%
Greenacres	CDP	5,496	4,906±788	$91,528	$351,800	4.1%	100%
Benton Park	CDP	5,333	5,707±759	$49,717	$240,600	37.0%	100%
Mojave	CDP	4,699	5,173±779	$55,660	$213,600	25.5%	100%
Ford City	CDP	4,348	4,162±962	$47,214	$207,800	36.6%	100%
Cottonwood (Kern County)	CDP	3,971	3,107±796	$44,247	$321,600	46.5%	100%
Old Stine	CDP	3,841	3,760±524	$54,292	$235,400	26.0%	100%
Lake Isabella	CDP	3,573	4,059±1,139	$26,661	$132,900	40.7%	100%
Rexland Acres	CDP	3,563	2,760±473	$56,078	$200,200	25.4%	100%
Greenfield, Kern County	CDP	3,447	3,939±1,044	$74,185	$247,400	12.1%	100%
Stallion Springs	CDP	3,139	2,937±440	$87,321	$432,500	5.0%	100%
Frazier Park	CDP	2,592	2,681±981	$47,930	$371,600	22.2%	100%
Pine Mountain Club	CDP	2,422	2,838±599	$69,375	$394,600	10.3%	100%
Lost Hills	CDP	2,370	1,926±414	$45,976	$187,500	24.2%	100%
Weldon	CDP	2,303	2,493±630	$35,221	$178,800	28.9%	100%
Wofford Heights	CDP	2,213	2,656±607	$38,686	$206,300	20.9%	100%
Weedpatch	CDP	2,206	2,685±582	$22,044	$137,100	46.5%	100%
Edwards AFB	CDP	2,135	2,500±384	$91,250	not published	9.5%	100%
South Taft	CDP	2,100	2,939±709	$43,039	$184,600	35.0%	100%
Boron	CDP	2,086	2,698±473	$53,170	$148,600	35.5%	100%
Bodfish	CDP	2,008	1,694±636	$39,863	$145,800	31.5%	100%
Taft Heights	CDP	1,999	1,291±406	$54,034	$193,800	16.2%	100%
Fairfax, Kern County	CDP	1,879	1,423±335	$30,417	$244,400	36.4%	100%
Casa Loma	CDP	1,804	1,587±679	$43,403	$256,100	30.8%	100%
China Lake Acres	CDP	1,757	2,594±852	$68,594	$160,300	21.9%	100%
Bakersfield Country Club	CDP	1,715	1,707±345	$102,266	$396,800	9.4%	100%
KernvilleGEOID 0638310	CDP	1,549	857±293	$49,883	$406,400	1.9%	100%
StebbinsGEOID 0674021	CDP	1,423	967±351	$68,029	not published	23.2%	100%
Buttonwillow	CDP	1,337	1,163±281	$35,086	$213,600	25.1%	100%
LebecGEOID 0640956	CDP	1,239	797±311	not published	$422,400	17.4%	100%
North EdwardsGEOID 0651812	CDP	1,054	903±331	$45,568	$172,700	27.1%	100%
Maricopa	city	1,026	984±211	$39,120	$155,500	22.4%	100%
Inyokern	CDP	988	912±328	not published	$292,900	22.5%	100%
Fuller AcresGEOID 0627190	CDP	917	619±249	$49,861	$143,800	28.4%	100%
Lakeside (Kern County)GEOID 0639759	CDP	843	807±315	$55,759	not published	24.0%	100%
Mountain MesaGEOID 0649600	CDP	823	600±213	$64,531	$228,200	16.7%	100%
Lake of the WoodsGEOID 0639696	CDP	790	796±322	$66,036	$276,300	11.1%	100%
Squirrel Mountain ValleyGEOID 0673815	CDP	760	1,108±590	not published	$375,600	2.1%	100%
Dustin Acres	CDP	677	656±233	$87,788	$246,800	1.4%	100%
Smith CornerGEOID 0672338	CDP	594	718±316	$48,281	$115,800	24.8%	100%
Olde StockdaleGEOID 0653503	CDP	568	349±194	$166,987	$717,100	0.0%	100%
Valley AcresGEOID 0681722	CDP	504	595±280	$135,820	$315,100	4.5%	100%
KeeneGEOID 0637946	CDP	469	469±235	not published	$520,800	0.0%	100%
OnyxGEOID 0653910	CDP	457	245±172	$24,297	not published	39.6%	100%
Pumpkin CenterGEOID 0658940	CDP	421	220±316	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Di GiorgioGEOID 0619248	CDP	400	301±147	$36,250	$54,200	26.2%	100%
El AdobeGEOID 0621691	CDP	391	253±179	$51,447	$278,900	0.0%	100%
Ridgecrest HeightsGEOID 0660705	CDP	380	370±209	$77,130	$164,300	12.2%	100%
Mountain MeadowsGEOID 0649592	CDP	303	190±154	not published	$574,200	11.6%	100%
Derby Acres	CDP	301	335±134	$47,000	$230,000	27.5%	100%
Edmundson AcresGEOID 0621558	CDP	296	349±149	$47,500	$241,700	27.2%	100%
Mexican ColonyGEOID 0647192	CDP	283	148±93	$54,375	not published	47.3%	100%
EdisonGEOID 0621544	CDP	255	449±406	not published	not published	52.6%	100%
Choctaw ValleyGEOID 0613278	CDP	237	34±24	$128,646	$725,000	0.0%	100%
Cherokee StripGEOID 0612860	CDP	206	118±147	not published	not published	29.7%	100%
RivergroveGEOID 0661108	CDP	195	28±27	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
TupmanGEOID 0680784	CDP	177	157±79	not published	not published	40.1%	100%
GlennvilleGEOID 0630126	CDP	158	23±21	not published	$216,700	26.1%	100%
Old RiverGEOID 0653574	CDP	123	134±212	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
GoodmanvilleGEOID 0630412	CDP	121	169±143	$154,034	not published	0.0%	100%
JohannesburgGEOID 0637400	CDP	113	86±97	not published	not published	33.7%	100%
WoodyGEOID 0686496	CDP	108	74±54	$93,750	$284,100	10.8%	100%
Alta Sierra (Kern County)GEOID 0601358	CDP	103	12±22	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
McKittrickGEOID 0644924	CDP	102	67±36	$87,955	not published	22.4%	100%
MettlerGEOID 0647164	CDP	90	140±107	$59,028	$229,800	32.1%	100%
FellowsGEOID 0623812	CDP	52	71±31	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
RandsburgGEOID 0659668	CDP	45	19±31	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
TarinaGEOID 0677934	CDP	18	0±14	not published	not published	–	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Kern County?

The median resident of Kern County is 32.7 years old; 28.6% are under 18 and 11.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 56.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 29.6%. 20.2% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Kern County	California	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	32.7±0.1	37.9	+1.1
Under 18 years	28.6%	22.0%	–
65 years and over	11.9%±0.1 pts	15.7%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	56.5%	40.2%	+3.2 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	29.6%±0.2 pts	33.8%	−4.6 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	4.8%±0.1 pts	5.2%	−0.4 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	5.1%±0.1 pts	15.3%	+0.5 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.3%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3.0%±0.2 pts	4.4%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.6%±0.1 pts	0.6%	–
Born outside the United States	20.2%±0.4 pts	27.0%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	45.7%±0.6 pts	44.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	4.9%±0.2 pts	4.3%	–
With a disability	12.4%±0.4 pts	11.6%	–
No health insurance coverage	7.8%±0.3 pts	6.6%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	77.0%±0.5 pts	84.7%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	18.8%±0.5 pts	37.1%	+2.4 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	6.5%±0.3 pts	14.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.7%±0.1 pts	1.1%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Kern County earn?

Half of Kern County's 284,931 households earn less than $70,210 a year (±$1,287), against $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 the median was $65,658 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $4,552 after inflation. 19.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Kern County	California	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$70,210±$1,287	$99,122	+$4,552
Mean household income	$93,147±$1,512	$140,436	–
Per capita income	$29,699±$507	$49,513	+$992
People below the poverty line	19.1%±0.8 pts	12.0%	−1.9 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	25.6%±1.5 pts	15.0%	−3.5 pts
Households receiving SNAP	20.2%±0.7 pts	12.4%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	91.6%±0.4 pts	93.5%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Kern County?

Owners occupy 60.1% of Kern County's occupied homes and renters 39.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $338,300 by its owner (±$2,944). The median renter pays $1,300 a month including utilities, and 48.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Kern County	California	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$338,300±$2,944	$734,700	+$75,055
Median gross rent	$1,300±$21	$2,036	+$96
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	48.3%±1.2 pts	46.0%	+2.5 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,968±$22	$2,946	–
Owner-occupied homes	60.1%±0.8 pts	55.9%	+1.8 pts
Housing units	306,999±246	14,644,735	+8,882
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.9%±0.2 pts	0.8%	–
Rental vacancy rate	3.5%±0.5 pts	4.2%	–
Single-family detached homes	72.4%±0.6 pts	57.0%	–
Mobile homes	7.3%±0.4 pts	3.5%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.3%±0.2 pts	1.3%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	4.1%±0.3 pts	8.9%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Kern County building?

Builders took permits for 3,159 new housing units across Kern County in 2025 (2,793 single-family), 3.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 2,261 units
2020 2,502 units
2021 2,293 units
2022 2,688 units
2023 2,451 units
2024 3,244 units
2025 3,159 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Kern County get to work?

78.4% of Kern County's workers drive alone and 7.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.6%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Kern County	California	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	58.8%±0.5 pts	63.8%	–
Unemployment rate	8.6%±0.4 pts	6.6%	−1.2 pts
Drove alone to work	78.4%±0.8 pts	65.7%	–
Carpooled	11.4%±0.6 pts	9.5%	–
Public transportation	0.4%±0.1 pts	2.9%	–
Walked	1.0%±0.1 pts	2.4%	–
Worked from home	7.5%±0.5 pts	17.2%	+4.1 pts
Mean travel time to work	24.4 min±0.4	28.7 min	+1.1 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Kern County's census tracts?

Kern County is divided into 236 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $14,710 (Tract 20.01) to $172,000 (Tract 28.11).

All 236 census tracts of Kern County, with their figures

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Kern County compare with California's other counties?

Kern County's rank among California's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	11th of 58
Growth 2020-2025	14th of 58
Residents per square mile	29th of 58
Median household income	42nd of 58
Median home value	49th of 58
Median gross rent	43rd of 56
Poverty rate	5th of 57
Bachelor's degree or higher	48th of 58
Median age	54th of 58

Every county in California

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Kern County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.