HomeCaliforniaKern County
Kern County, California: commercial real estate data.
Kern County, California had an estimated 922,529 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 909,233, across 8,132 square miles. County output reached $63.07 bn in 2024, 14,352 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 644 7(a) approvals worth $471.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kern County
How many people live in Kern County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024915,075
- Households284,931
- Average household size3.21
- Median household income$70,210
- Median age32.7
- Median gross rent$1,300 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$338,300
- Home value to household income4.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over563,569
- Population under 18261,490
- Share under 1828.6 percent
- Population 65 and over108,560
- Share 65 and over11.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64545,025
- Civilian labor force400,303
- Unemployment rate8.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.2 percent
- Rank by population among California counties11th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included63rd of 3,222
Kern County is the 11th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 4.8 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.6 percent against 11.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kern County
Is Kern County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024922,529
- Census 2020 base population909,233
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.46 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20245,883
- Births, 202410,582
- Deaths, 20247,224
- Natural change, 20243,358
- Net domestic migration, 2024-2,154
- Net international migration, 20244,623
- Total net migration, 20242,469
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-11,122
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1345th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.46 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kern County
Where are people moving to Kern County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving13,315
- People arriving, from those returns25,872
- Tax returns filed by households leaving14,811
- Net household movement-1,496
- Adjusted gross income arriving$726.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-266.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$54,556
- Average income of a leaving household$67,048
- Largest single originLos Angeles County (4,234 households)
- Largest single destinationLos Angeles County (2,068 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 4,234 | 8,858 | $231.3 m |
| Tulare County | 549 | 1,025 | $24.2 m |
| Ventura County | 549 | 1,156 | $31.9 m |
| Orange County | 502 | 986 | $30.5 m |
| San Bernardino County | 500 | 990 | $22.7 m |
| Riverside County | 445 | 866 | $21.0 m |
| San Diego County | 339 | 611 | $17.1 m |
| Fresno County | 305 | 530 | $15.4 m |
Households arriving report $12,492 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Los Angeles County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kern County
What is the Kern County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$63.07 bn
- County GDP, 2023$60.18 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.8 percent
- GDP change over five years37.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes14th of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes94th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$68,923
Output grew 4.8 percent in the latest year and 37.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Kern County
Employment by industry in Kern County
- Covered employment, annual average347,664
- Establishments reporting27,950
- Average annual pay$60,066
- Average weekly wage$1,155
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment57,718
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$38,303
- Health care and social assistance, employment47,178
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$54,894
- Retail trade, employment31,905
- Retail trade, average annual pay$40,848
- Accommodation and food services, employment26,656
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$28,334
- Transportation and warehousing, employment17,844
- Construction, employment15,984
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 57,718 | 835 | $38,303 |
| Health care and social assistance | 47,178 | 13,352 | $54,894 |
| Retail trade | 31,905 | 2,000 | $40,848 |
| Accommodation and food services | 26,656 | 1,598 | $28,334 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17,844 | 1,206 | $70,042 |
| Construction | 15,984 | 1,424 | $77,329 |
| Manufacturing | 13,261 | 494 | $82,996 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 12,747 | 768 | $54,873 |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the largest private sector at 57,718 jobs, 16.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kern County
How many businesses are in Kern County?
- Establishments, all industries14,352
- Employment at those establishments219,016
- Annual payroll$12.39 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kern County
Building permits in Kern County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243,244
- Declared construction value permitted$735.8 m
- Single family units authorized2,812
- Multifamily units authorized432
- Multifamily share of units13.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$226,805
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.4
Single-family homes are 86.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kern County
SBA loans in Kern County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded644
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$471.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$731,851
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$21,930
- 90th percentile approval$2,182,600
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)6,715
- Jobs per approval10.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active90
- Distinct industries receiving approvals193
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer34.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms220
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter416
- Franchise loans95
- Franchise share of approvals14.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (43)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (74)
- 504 approvals recorded426
- 504 gross approval dollars$334.4 m
- Average 504 approval$785,026
- Median 504 approval$499,000
- Distinct CDCs active16
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.1
- Most active CDCCen Cal Business Finance Group (325)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$805.7 m
The average approval of $731,851 sits well above the median of $300,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 34.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kern County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Kern County
Do SBA loans in Kern County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded118
- Paid in full102
- Charged off16
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans13.6 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure416
- Status: Charged off16
- Status: Paid in full102
- Status: Cancelled77
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed33
Of the 118 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kern County
SBA lending by place in Kern County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending24
- Bakersfield, approvals469
- Tehachapi, approvals26
- Delano, approvals19
- Ridgecrest, approvals15
- Shafter, approvals14
- Lamont, approvals11
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 469 | $342,076,100 |
| Tehachapi | 26 | $12,787,500 |
| Delano | 19 | $13,464,200 |
| Ridgecrest | 15 | $21,875,500 |
| Shafter | 14 | $11,255,500 |
| Lamont | 11 | $4,577,000 |
| Wasco | 10 | $2,707,800 |
| Kernville | 9 | $7,719,100 |
| 16 other borrower cities | 71 | $54,849,500 |
Bakersfield accounts for 469 approvals against 26 in Tehachapi. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kern County
How large is Kern County?
- Land area8,132 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties3rd of 58
- Width, east to west145.5 mi
- Height, north to south69.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land113
- Establishments per square mile1.76
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kern County
Flood risk in Kern County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Kern County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060075
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 9
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book12
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Kern County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Kern County (community 060075), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 9, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Kern County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Kern County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Kern County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024915,075
- Households284,931
- Average household size3.21
- Median household income$70,210
- Median age32.7
Common questions
Kern County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kern County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 922,529 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 915,075, in 284,931 households, ranking 11th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kern County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.46 percent since the 2020 census base of 909,233, to 922,529 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 10,582 births against 7,224 deaths, with net migration of 2,469. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kern County?
$70,210. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $338,300, which is 4.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,300 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Kern County?
14,352 establishments, employing 219,016 people with an annual payroll of $12.39 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Kern County?
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the largest private sector at 57,718 jobs, 16.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 347,664 jobs at an average annual pay of $60,066, or $1,155 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kern County?
644 7(a) approvals totaling $471.3 m since FY2020, across 90 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 426 504 approvals worth $334.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kern County get paid back?
Of the 118 loans that have reached a final outcome, 102 were paid in full and 16 charged off, a charge-off rate of 13.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Kern County?
3,244 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $735.8 m. Multifamily was 13.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kern County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kern County come from?
The largest single origin is Los Angeles County, with 4,234 households. Arriving households report an average income of $54,556 against $67,048 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kern County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Kern County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Kern County
Cities and places in Kern.
88 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kern County. 87 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | city | 411,986 | 469 | Wholly in this county |
| Delano | city | 51,679 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Oildale | CDP | 34,687 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Niles | CDP | 28,532 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgecrest | city | 28,225 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Wasco | city | 26,558 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Rosamond | CDP | 21,473 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Shafter | city | 21,193 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Arvin | city | 19,539 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Rosedale | CDP | 18,877 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| California City | city | 14,414 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| McFarland | city | 14,222 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Lamont | CDP | 13,164 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Tehachapi | city | 11,946 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| East Bakersfield | CDP | 11,062 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hillcrest | CDP | 10,511 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Potomac Park | CDP | 10,138 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Golden Hills | CDP | 9,891 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Cresta | CDP | 8,389 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Taft | city | 7,125 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Bear Valley Springs | CDP | 5,912 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Benton Park | CDP | 5,707 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mojave | CDP | 5,173 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenacres | CDP | 4,906 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ford City | CDP | 4,162 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Isabella | CDP | 4,059 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenfield | CDP | 3,939 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Old Stine | CDP | 3,760 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cottonwood | CDP | 3,107 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Taft | CDP | 2,939 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stallion Springs | CDP | 2,937 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Mountain Club | CDP | 2,838 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Rexland Acres | CDP | 2,760 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boron | CDP | 2,698 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weedpatch | CDP | 2,685 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Frazier Park | CDP | 2,681 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Wofford Heights | CDP | 2,656 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| China Lake Acres | CDP | 2,594 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edwards AFB | CDP | 2,500 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weldon | CDP | 2,493 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lost Hills | CDP | 1,926 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Bakersfield Country Club | CDP | 1,707 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bodfish | CDP | 1,694 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Casa Loma | CDP | 1,587 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairfax | CDP | 1,423 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Taft Heights | CDP | 1,291 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Buttonwillow | CDP | 1,163 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Squirrel Mountain Valley | CDP | 1,108 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Maricopa | city | 984 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stebbins | CDP | 967 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Inyokern | CDP | 912 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| North Edwards | CDP | 903 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kernville | CDP | 857 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside | CDP | 807 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lebec | CDP | 797 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake of the Woods | CDP | 796 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Smith Corner | CDP | 718 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dustin Acres | CDP | 656 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fuller Acres | CDP | 619 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain Mesa | CDP | 600 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Valley Acres | CDP | 595 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Keene | CDP | 469 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edison | CDP | 449 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgecrest Heights | CDP | 370 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edmundson Acres | CDP | 349 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Olde Stockdale | CDP | 349 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Derby Acres | CDP | 335 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Di Giorgio | CDP | 301 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| El Adobe | CDP | 253 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Onyx | CDP | 245 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pumpkin Center | CDP | 220 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain Meadows | CDP | 190 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Goodmanville | CDP | 169 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tupman | CDP | 157 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mexican Colony | CDP | 148 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mettler | CDP | 140 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Old River | CDP | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cherokee Strip | CDP | 118 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Johannesburg | CDP | 86 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Woody | CDP | 74 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fellows | CDP | 71 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| McKittrick | CDP | 67 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Choctaw Valley | CDP | 34 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rivergrove | CDP | 28 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Glennville | CDP | 23 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Randsburg | CDP | 19 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alta Sierra | CDP | 12 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tarina | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 644 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Kern County, the largest being Bakerfield (1), Visalia (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.