How many people live in Kern County, CA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 922,500 people living in Kern County, CA. That makes Kern County the 11th-most populous county in California. It is home to 2.3% of people living in the state.
923K
population of Kern County, CA (2024)
2.3%
County share of the California population (2024)
About 922,500 people lived in Kern County, CA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Kern County, CA’s age demographics?
About 114,800 Kern County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 12.4% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 16.6% of California’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 257,200 Kern County residents, or 27.9% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.4% of California’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Kern County, CA's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Kern County, CA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 57.8% of the Kern County, CA population, higher than the national share of 20%.
In contrast, Kern County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 29.2%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 5% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Kern County, CA has a higher share of a Hispanic population than California as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Kern County, CA is Bakersfield with about 417,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Kern County, CA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bakersfield | 417,468 |
| 2. | Delano | 53,198 |
| 3. | Ridgecrest | 28,373 |
| 4. | Wasco | 27,409 |
| 5. | Shafter | 22,754 |
| 6. | Arvin | 19,661 |
| 7. | McFarland | 14,365 |
| 8. | California City | 13,174 |
| 9. | Tehachapi | 11,114 |
| 10. | Taft | 6,988 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
