Census tract · Kern County
Census Tract 16, Kern County, California
Census Tract 16, GEOID 06029001600, in Kern County, California, entirely within Bakersfield. 2,249 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±442); the 2020 Census counted 2,510.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,249
±442 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,510
Median household income
$18,258
±$10,664 (90% margin)
Kern County: $70,210
Median home value
$273,100
±$58,802 (90% margin)
Kern County: $338,300
Median gross rent
$789
±$169 (90% margin)
Kern County: $1,300
Where is Census Tract 16?
Census Tract 16 is one of 236 census tracts in Kern County, California. It covers 1.39 square miles of land, 1,804 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 06029001600, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 16: Tract 6.03 ($41,523), Tract 15 ($43,925), Tract 17 ($72,354), Tract 19.02 ($51,983), Tract 20.01 ($14,710) and Tract 20.02 ($27,997). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 16?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 16's population at 2,249 (±442) in 1,152 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,510 residents and 1,103 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 16 | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,249±442 | 411,986 |
| Households | 1,152±221 | 129,625 |
| Average household size | 1.70±0.20 | 3.14 |
| Housing units | 1,191±218 | 135,724 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 16?
The median resident of Census Tract 16 is 37.8 years old; 22.2% are under 18 and 16.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 46.9%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 31.9%. 15.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 16 | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.8±6.3 | 32.1 |
| Under 18 years | 22.2%±6.3 pts | 29.2% |
| 65 years and over | 16.4%±5.4 pts | 11.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 46.9%±10.2 pts | 54.7% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 31.9%±11.5 pts | 27.6% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.2%±4.2 pts | 5.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.4%±5.3 pts | 7.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.6%±3.2 pts | 3.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.8%±1.4 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 15.0%±6.8 pts | 20.2% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 42.4%±12.0 pts | 44.3% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.4%±4.4 pts | 4.5% |
| With a disability | 27.3%±7.6 pts | 11.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2%±6.8 pts | 7.4% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 76.1%±7.4 pts | 81.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 8.1%±3.6 pts | 23.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.9%±1.9 pts | 8.4% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.1%±6.3 pts | 90.1% |
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 Census Tract 16 earn?
Half of the 1,152 households in Census Tract 16 earn less than $18,258 a year (±$10,664), against $70,210 across Kern County: 224th highest of the county's 225 tracts with a reliable estimate. 38.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 16 | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $18,258±$10,664 | $80,540 |
| Mean household income | $42,499±$12,119 | $103,729 |
| Per capita income | $23,520±$6,481 | $33,405 |
| People below the poverty line | 38.9%±11.7 pts | 16.3% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.8%±27.6 pts | 22.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 50.3%±11.5 pts | 18.0% |
| Households with a computer | 92.7%±5.8 pts | 97.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 79.7%±7.5 pts | 94.0% |
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 Census Tract 16?
Owners occupy 15.0% of Census Tract 16's occupied homes and renters 85.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $273,100 by its owner (±$58,802). The median renter pays $789 a month including utilities, and 51.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 16 | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $273,100±$58,802 | $371,700 |
| Median gross rent | $789±$169 | $1,472 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.2%±15.5 pts | 48.0% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,651±$262 | $2,107 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 15.0%±5.7 pts | 60.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 85.0%±5.7 pts | 39.4% |
| Housing units | 1,191±218 | 135,724 |
| Single-family detached homes | 20.2%±6.1 pts | 71.8% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 3.0% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0%±1.7 pts | 1.5% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 46.4%±12.2 pts | 11.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.0%±6.0 pts | 3.1% |
| Households with no vehicle | 26.5%±11.8 pts | 7.4% |
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 do people in Census Tract 16 get to work?
64.5% of Census Tract 16's workers drive alone and 8.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 12.9%.
| Measure | Tract 16 | Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.1%±9.9 pts | 62.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 12.9%±7.7 pts | 7.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 64.5%±14.0 pts | 79.1% |
| Carpooled | 4.5%±7.3 pts | 10.2% |
| Public transportation | 4.2%±10.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Walked | 17.8%±7.5 pts | 0.8% |
| Worked from home | 8.4%±5.2 pts | 8.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.8 min±19.0 | 23.6 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
How does Census Tract 16 compare with the other tracts in Kern County?
Among Kern County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 16 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Kern County | In Bakersfield |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 222nd of 236 | 100th of 103 |
| Residents per square mile | 165th of 236 | 88th of 103 |
| Median household income | 224th of 225 | 98th of 99 |
| Per capita income | 142nd of 236 | 74th of 103 |
| Median home value | 138th of 225 | 71st of 99 |
| Median gross rent | 218th of 219 | 97th of 97 |
| Poverty rate | 21st of 170 | 11th of 67 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 154th of 181 | 78th of 83 |
| Median age | 51st of 235 | 16th of 102 |
| Owner-occupied share | 224th of 228 | 97th of 101 |
The tracts next to it on Kern County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 21 | 221st | $27,972±$12,167 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 52.05 | 222nd | $26,429±$2,481 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 64.04 | 223rd | $25,052±$9,409 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 16 | 224th | $18,258±$10,664 |
| Tract 20.01 | 225th | $14,710±$3,009 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 16?
1 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 16 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections