Kern County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 100% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 7% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 78% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 53% of US counties
- top 2% for sunny days
- top 7% for walkability
- bottom 1% for air quality
Kern County is a county in California with about 907,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include sunny days, walkability, and comfortable days. It rates lower on income tax and air quality.
Official websitekerncounty.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
97%66%clearovercast
Precipitation 1.6 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$64k60th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$50kbetter than 22% of US counties
Home Value$283k86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 14% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 11% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.96%better than 42% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden20.47%better than 2% of US counties
Unemployment8.4%better than 9% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)48°F86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation8.8 in1st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.4 inbetter than 83% of US counties
Sunny Days307 daysbetter than 98% of US counties
Summer Humidity50°Fbetter than 91% of US counties
Comfortable Days99 daysbetter than 91% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk98.9better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality69 AQIbetter than 1% of US counties
School Quality73.7better than 78% of US counties
Violent Crime1397/100kbetter than 18% of US counties
Property Crime3055/100kbetter than 3% of US counties
Community
Population906,88398th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6396th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0577th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1023rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)31.5%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.9%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)55.3%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.8%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.6%54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 53% of US counties
Walkability9.9/20better than 93% of US counties
Airport Distance98 mibetter than 50% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access88.0%better than 79% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.17better than 25% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 57% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kern County an affordable place to live?
- Kern County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $50k, better than 22% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Kern County?
- The median home value in Kern County is $283k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Kern County?
- Median household income in Kern County is $64k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Kern County?
- Median gross rent in Kern County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Kern County safe?
- Kern County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1397/100k (better than 18%). Property crime is 3055/100k.
- What is the weather like in Kern County?
- Kern County averages 82°F in July and 48°F in January, with 8.8 in of annual precipitation and about 307 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Kern County?
- Public-school quality in Kern County is above average, scoring better than 78% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Kern County?
- The average one-way commute in Kern County is 24 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)