1st Advantage MortgageThe median Kern County household earns $70,210, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Who lives in Kern County
- What Kern County households earn
- Renting and owning in Kern County
- Employment and commuting in Kern County
- The counties around Kern County
- Kern County towns compared
- Debt-to-income at Kern County's medians
- More Kern County figures
- Local borrowing considerations for Kern County
- Before you sign
- Who licenses lenders for Kern County residents
- More guides for Kern County
- Frequently asked questions
Who lives in Kern County
Kern County is home to about 915,075 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 11th most populous of 58 county-level areas in California. Land area is 8,135 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 112 per square mile. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 88 places in the county (11 incorporated, 77 census-designated); the largest is Bakersfield, with about 411,986 residents, or 45% of the county.
What Kern County households earn
At $70,210, the typical Kern County household income is 7% above the median U.S. county ($65,681). In the state ranking that is 42nd of 58.
| Households earning | Kern County | +/- vs California |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 25.2% | +7.5 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 40.2% | +7.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 26.0% | -3.1 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 8.6% | -11.9 pts |
The spread is wide: 35% of Kern County households make $100,000 or more, and 25% make less than $35,000. The poverty rate is 19.1%, 7 points higher than the state's 12.0%. A household earning below the $70,210 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Renting and owning in Kern County
A typical Kern County rental runs $1,300 a month including utilities, which is 36% below California. By the Census definition, 56% of Kern County renters are cost-burdened. Home values center on $338,300, or 4.8 years of median income. The ownership rate is 60%.
| Cost | Kern County | California figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,300/mo | $2,036/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $338,300 | $734,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 60% | 56% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 56% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 36% | 38% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 7.3% | 3.5% | n/a |
High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
Employment and commuting in Kern County
The biggest employer of Kern County residents, by industry, is education and health care at 23% of workers, followed by agriculture, forestry and mining (12%). Compared with California, the county leans toward agriculture, forestry and mining (12% against 2%). Averaged over the five survey years, 8.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 11% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 6.7% of the total (7.1% statewide).
| Top industries | Kern County share | +/- vs California |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.7% | +0.6 pts |
| Agriculture, forestry and mining | 12.4% | +10.4 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.9% | +0.9 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.3% | -6.2 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 8.1% | -1.3 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 7.4% | +1.4 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Kern County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
The counties around Kern County
Six nearby counties, 61 to 97 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Ventura County leads the group on income ($109,797), Kings County trails ($70,995), and Kern County out-earns 0 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County | - | $70,210 | $1,300/mo | 60% |
| Tulare County, CA | 61 mi | $71,300 | $1,280/mo | 58% |
| Ventura County, CA | 72 mi | $109,797 | $2,317/mo | 65% |
| Kings County, CA | 79 mi | $70,995 | $1,331/mo | 54% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 84 mi | $90,112 | $1,954/mo | 46% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 93 mi | $98,161 | $2,131/mo | 52% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 97 mi | $97,446 | $1,992/mo | 62% |
Kern County towns compared
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 88 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 95% of Kern County residents live in one of the 88. Rosedale has the highest median household income on the list ($135,966) and Weedpatch the lowest ($22,044), counting places with at least 500 residents. Median rent ranges from $749 in Casa Loma to $2,457 in Edwards AFB. 2 of them have a separate city guide (linked). For the rest, this is the local guide.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | city | 411,986 | $80,540 | $1,472 | 17 mi |
| Delano | city | 51,679 | $67,010 | $1,199 | 42 mi |
| Oildale | CDP | 34,687 | $51,298 | $1,281 | 18 mi |
| East Niles | CDP | 28,532 | $55,124 | $1,250 | 11 mi |
| Ridgecrest | city | 28,225 | $89,250 | $1,186 | 63 mi |
| Wasco | city | 26,558 | $51,727 | $1,089 | 40 mi |
| Rosamond | CDP | 21,473 | $79,386 | $1,498 | 44 mi |
| Shafter | city | 21,193 | $71,215 | $1,253 | 28 mi |
| Arvin | city | 19,539 | $49,183 | $1,122 | 12 mi |
| Rosedale | CDP | 18,877 | $135,966 | $1,637 | 27 mi |
| California City | city | 14,414 | $60,113 | $1,300 | 50 mi |
| McFarland | city | 14,222 | $54,608 | $1,131 | 36 mi |
| Lamont | CDP | 13,164 | $37,217 | $991 | 12 mi |
| Tehachapi | city | 11,946 | $72,957 | $1,295 | 21 mi |
Debt-to-income at Kern County's medians
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Kern County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- $5,851 a month: gross income for a household at the Kern County median
- Median rent: $1,300, or 22 cents of every gross dollar
- $806: what a 36% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- $1,216: what a 43% ratio leaves once rent is paid
If your rent is above $1,300, the room shrinks dollar for dollar.
More Kern County figures
Degree holders: 19% of adults over 25. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, against 6.6% for California.
| People and households | Kern County | California | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 | 37.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 18.8% | 37.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 23.0% | 15.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 7.8% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 6.7% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 17.2% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 12.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 8.6% | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Minutes to work | Kern County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 27.0% |
| 15 to 29 min | 45.6% |
| 30 to 44 min | 16.0% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.1% |
| 60+ min | 7.2% |
Local borrowing considerations for Kern County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Kern County borrowers.
- Free help first. 19% of residents live below the poverty line; utility, rent and food programs cost nothing to repay (free options).
- Renters under pressure. When 56% pay 30% or more for rent, the smallest loan that solves the problem is the right size.
- Debt consolidation. One fixed payment can save money only if the written APR and fees beat what you pay now (guide).
Before you sign
A short checklist for Kern County borrowers:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Kern County.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Lock paid-off cards after consolidating so balances stay at zero.
Who licenses lenders for Kern County residents
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Kern County borrowers answers to the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. See the California state guide for the statewide picture.
More guides for Kern County
More local guides:
Frequently asked questions
What does a typical Kern County household make?
About $70,210 a year at the median (ACS 2020-24), 29% below the California median.
How much is rent in Kern County?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $1,300 a month; 56% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
I live in a small Kern County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Bakersfield, Delano, Oildale, East Niles, Ridgecrest and 83 more.
Is the fit check different in Kern County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Kern County?
Start with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.