What is the largest city in Kern County, CA?

Bakersfield is the largest city or town in Kern County, with about 411,986 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Kern County?

Kern County includes 48 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 93203, 93205, 93206, 93215, 93220.

What is the population of Kern County, CA?

About 915,075 people live in Kern County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Kern County?

Kern County borders Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Tulare County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Inyo County.

Kern County, CA: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

915,075

Land area

8,135sq mi

People per sq mi

112

ZIP codes

48

Kern County at a glance

Kern County is 55% less dense than California as a whole.
It is the 11th most populous of 58 counties in California.
Households here earn a median of $70,210 a year, 29% less than the California figure of $99,122.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $338,300 (54% below California) and median rent is $1,300 a month.
The biggest population centers are Bakersfield (411,986), Delano (51,679) and Oildale (34,687).

Local data for Kern County, CA

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Kern County, CA, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$70,210

Poverty rate

19.1%

Median home value

$338,300

Prices +2.0% in a year

Median rent

$1,300/mo

Homeownership

60.1%

Bachelor's or higher

18.8%

Median age

32.7

Average commute

24.4 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: Mexican Americans (461,006), German Americans (51,740), Irish Americans (43,877).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

7.9%

Sep 2026, -0.3 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$61,737

347,044 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$50,641

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$4.8B

FY 2026, $5,245 per person

PPP loans

$1.4B

15,983 loans, 178,468 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$3.3M

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Kern County, CA, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone78.4%
Carpooled11.4%
Public transit0.4%
Walked1.0%
Bicycle0.1%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.2%
Worked from home7.5%

Average one-way commute: 24.4 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Kern County, CA, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively High

Top: wildfire

Storm events since 1996

2,501

Most often high wind

Flood insurance policies

2,955

1.1% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

88° / 32°F

12.8 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 14 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Kern County, CA, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

36.0%

U.S. 33.3% +2.7 pts

Diabetes

13.3%

U.S. 12.1% +1.2 pts

Smoking

14.6%

U.S. 12.8% +1.8 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

16.7%

U.S. 11.1% +5.6 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Kern County

Population shown

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Kern County, CA?: Bakersfield is the largest city or town in Kern County, with about 411,986 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Kern County?: Kern County includes 48 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 93203, 93205, 93206, 93215, 93220.
What is the population of Kern County, CA?: About 915,075 people live in Kern County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Kern County?: Kern County borders Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Tulare County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Inyo County.