County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Kern County
- What is the median household income in Kern County?
- The median household income in Kern County is $125,216 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Kern County?
- The poverty rate in Kern County is 4.9% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Kern County?
- $352,300 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Kern County?
- The median gross rent in Kern County is $1,681 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Kern County residents have a college degree?
- 48.8% of adults in Kern County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
16,571
Median Income
$125,216
Median Home Value
$352,300
Poverty Rate
4.9%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
2.6%
Median Age
39.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$34,174 (+37.5%)
Home Value:
+$69,500 (+24.6%)
Poverty Rate:
+1.3 pp (+36.1%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.6 pp (+3.4%)
Unemployment:
-1.8 pp (-40.9%)
Demographics
Total Population
16,571
Median Age
39.0
Female
47.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
White (non-Hisp.) 82.4%
Black 3.3%
Asian 5.5%
Two or More 5.2%
Other 2.8%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
3.7%
Filipino
0.7%
Vietnamese
0.7%
Korean
0.4%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.3%
Puerto Rican
0.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$125,216
±$15,392
+$28,882 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$147,269
Median Family Income
$148,018
Poverty Rate
4.9%
-3.5 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
7.6%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
2.9%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
29.0%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
1.7%
$10–15k
0.8%
$15–25k
5.8%
$25–35k
4.7%
$35–50k
5.3%
$50–75k
12.1%
$75–100k
11.0%
$100–150k
22.6%
$150–200k
10.8%
$200k+
25.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
6,726
Owner-Occupied
70.9%
Renter-Occupied
29.1%
Vacancy Rate
6.3%
Median Home Value
$352,300
-$343,100 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,681
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
21.4%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
31.2%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.5%
$50–100k
1.5%
$100–200k
4.3%
$200–300k
23.2%
$300–500k
47.7%
$500k–$1M
18.5%
$1M+
0.6%
Gross Rent Distribution
$500–1k
3.9%
$1–1.5k
36.3%
$1.5–2k
27.1%
$2–2.5k
22.1%
$2.5–3.5k
6.1%
$3.5k+
4.5%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
1.7%
1 vehicle
29.2%
2 vehicles
40.7%
3+
28.4%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
69.5%
Single-fam. att.
5.0%
2–4 units
3.0%
5–19 units
11.3%
20+ units
4.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
13.6%
1940–1969
3.4%
1970–1999
14.2%
2000–2009
14.8%
2010+
12.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
97.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
48.8%
+12.3 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
21.1%
Some College / Associate
14.7%
Less Than High School
1.3%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
67.7%
Unemployment Rate
2.6%
-3.8 pp vs. state
Work from Home
15.1%
Self-Employed
4.8%
Government Workers
13.7%
Private For-Profit
81.6%
Industry
Edu/Health
26.6%
Manufacturing
14.2%
Finance
12.6%
Prof. Services
11.5%
Retail
7.5%
Construction
7.3%
Arts/Entmt.
6.0%
Transportation
3.8%
Information
2.5%
Agriculture
2.5%
Wholesale
1.9%
Public Admin
1.5%
Occupation
Management
58.8%
Sales
16.9%
Food Prep
8.5%
Construction
8.3%
Production
7.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
29.2 min
Drove Alone
79.6%
Carpool
4.3%
Public Transit
0.6%
Work from Home
15.1%
Walked
0.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
6,302
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
57.2%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
23.5%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.2%
5–9
6.2%
10–14
9.3%
15–19
4.3%
20–24
6.3%
25–34
12.6%
35–44
12.7%
45–54
11.0%
55–64
8.6%
65–74
6.2%
75–84
9.4%
85+
6.4%
Under 18: 23.9%
Working age (18–64): 76.1%
65 and over: 17.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
7.4%
Naturalized Citizen
50.2%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.8%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
51.7%
Latin America
21.0%
Africa
13.9%
Europe
9.2%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.4%
With a Disability
9.9%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.9%
Uninsured
5.1%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
96.3%
Has a Computer
98.2%
Same House 1 Year Ago
87.7%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Kern County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Kern County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 3,797 | 7,772 |
| Other flows - South | 1,170 | 2,178 |
| Other flows - West | 766 | 1,318 |
| Tulare County | 533 | 1,072 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 507 | 921 |
| Ventura County | 489 | 1,043 |
| San Bernardino County | 475 | 986 |
| Orange County | 452 | 835 |
| Fresno County | 352 | 663 |
| San Diego County | 346 | 646 |