Kern County, California
Located in California, Kern County has a population of 915,075 residents and a median age of 32.7 years, making it the #63 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.1%. The median home value is $338,300, and the median household income is $70,210, which is 7% below the national median.
Demographics
Kern County has a population of 915,075, making it the #63 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.7 years, which is 15.9% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Kern County is $70,210, ranking #1,184 out of 3,222 counties — 6.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 8.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Kern County is $338,300 (+20.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,300/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Kern County, 18.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.3% below the national average, ranking #2,222 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Kern County is 74.2 years. 25.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.6% of adults in Kern County smoke , 35.9% are obese , and 18.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 49.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Kern County is 12.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.8% of children in Kern County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Kern County is 57.6%. The mean commute time is 26.4 min, which is 4.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Kern County voted Republican with a margin of 21.1%. The vote was 38.2% Dem / 59.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 10.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Kern County, California
Kern County, California has a total population of 915,075, making it the 63rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kern County is 32.7 years, which is 15.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Kern County is $70,210, which ranks #1,184 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 8.6%.
The median home value in Kern County is $338,300, 20.0% above the national median. Renters in Kern County pay a median gross rent of $1,300 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Kern County, 18.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.4 min.
Kern County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 56.5% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (29.6%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.1%).
All data for Kern County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.