Kern County, CA population by year, race, & more (2024)

How has the population changed in Kern County?

County changes over time

Over the past 50 years, some counties have merged or split, and the resulting data was redistributed to other counties. The Census Bureau reports population estimates for counties based on their existing boundaries at the end of each decade. Read more

What's the size of the US population and how has it changed?

Data Methodology

The Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Estimates Program (PEP) data by county includes details like counts by age, race, or ethnicity and goes back for decades. But how the Census Bureau reported and grouped those populations changed over time.

Race categories

Users will notice that the race categories change depending on the years selected in this interactive tool. This occurs because the Census Bureau has changed the race and ethnicity categories it makes available. To allow for comparisons over time, the race categories change depending on the earliest year selected in the comparison tool.

If the earliest year selected in the tool is from before 1990, the data only includes three race categories: 'white', 'Black', and 'other'. As a result, any comparison that includes data from before 1990 only includes these three race categories. Race categories other than 'Black' and 'white' are included in the 'other' race category for years after 1990 when comparing to pre-1990 data.

Any comparison where the earliest year is between 1990 and 1999 includes two additional categories: 'American Indian/Alaska Native' and 'Asian or Pacific Islander.' Separate reporting for 'Asian' and 'Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander' are combined for years after 2000 when the comparison year is in the 1990s.

Data from 2000 onward considers 'Asian' and 'Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander' as separate groups and also includes the 'multiracial' category. These categories do not exist for earlier years and do not appear in comparisons in this tool if a year prior to 2000 is selected. Prior to 2000, the Census Bureau did not separately identify people who were two or more races. All persons were grouped into singular race categories. In 2000, the Census added the 'Two or more races' category to the data. The Census Bureau states that the number of people in the separate race categories (i.e., 'white', 'Black', etc.) was impacted by this change as some people who would have previously been grouped within a single race category were grouped into the two or more category with the change. Pre-2000 and post-2000 data comparisons will result in lower values for the separate race categories in proportion to the 'two or more race' population.

Ethnicity categories

In addition to the changes in race categories over time, the Hispanic ethnicity also became available at the county level beginning in 1990. People of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. To consider Hispanic people as a distinct group, the tool above defaults to excluding Hispanic people from the race categories when the comparison years selected are both from 1990 and later. The resulting race/ethnicity comparison groups are: "Black, non-Hispanic", "white, non-Hispanic", "American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic", "Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic" and "Hispanic". There is also an option for users to hide the distinct Hispanic ethnicity, which then allocates Hispanic people to their designated race category.

Census reporting and update cycle

The Census Bureau releases annual provisional population estimates based on the previous decennial census and other data on births, deaths, and migration/immigration. Every decade, the Bureau reconciles these estimates and releases final data.

These provisional estimates are 'postcensal estimates', and the final estimates are 'intercensal estimates'. USAFacts used the final intercensal estimates for 1970 through 2009 and the provisional postcensal estimates for 2010 and after.

The most recent county-level data available by age, race, sex, and ethnicity are the Vintage 2020 Population Estimates (census.gov) for 2010 to 2019 and the Vintage 2022 Population Estimates (census.gov) for 2020 through 2022. We will update this experience, including the 2010-2019 estimates, when the Bureau releases county-level 2010-2020 intercensal estimates by age, sex, race, and ethnicity.

Use caution when interpreting population changes that use different estimate vintages. The 2010-2020 postcensal estimates are known to underestimate the population by about 1% nationally. This underestimate is, effectively, zero for 2010 and grows each year to reach 1% by 2020. The estimate years differ from the base 2010 decennial census; underestimates will be resolved in 2023 when the Census Bureau releases its 2010-2020 intercensal estimates.

Geography changes

In 2022, the Census Bureau accepted a new county-equivalent map for the state of Connecticut to better reflect the actual governance system in the state. This resulted in a new map that divides the state into 9 counties in place of the prior 8-county map. This presents a significant hurdle for providing context to Connecticut's state population changes over time. The Census Bureau, in addressing this concern, has indicated that they will release alternative population estimates for Connecticut for the past 5 years using the more recent 9-county designations. USAFACTS will be paying attention to those releases to determine if those results can be combined with these other data to provide a time series of population change for the new counties. While this is being determined, we have inserted the data from the Vintage 2021 Population Estimates (census.gov) for reporting for Connecticut at the county level, that align to the old, 8-county system to provide that context over time. State and National numbers use the 2022 Vintage estimates and we will continue to use the most recent estimates for the state and nation even when older data must be substituted for the county-level data. Until some additional data becomes available and is evaluated, we will limit Connecticut's county-level data to 2021.

Kern County, CA population by year, race, & more (2024)

FAQs

What is the ethnicity of Kern County? ›

2020 census
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1990% 2020
White alone (NH)340,89230.75%
Black or African American alone (NH)28,8515.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)5,6200.57%
Asian alone (NH)14,8794.87%
5 more rows

What is the majority race in Bakersfield CA? ›

Bakersfield Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bakersfield was: White: 52.8% Two or more races: 16.75% Other race: 15.2%

What is the age demographic of Kern County CA? ›

There are 903,117 residents in Kern County, with a median age of 34.4. Of this, 50.99% are males and 49.01% are females. US-born citizens make up 79.23% of the resident pool in Kern County, while non-US-born citizens account for 8.83%. Additionally, 11.94% of the population is represented by non-citizens.

What are some statistics associated with the issue in Kern County? ›

(KERO) — According to 2022 Census data, more than 18 percent of the population in Kern County is experiencing poverty. That rate is higher than the national average of just over 12 percent.

What is the poverty rate in Kern County CA? ›

19.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kern County, CA (170k out of 881k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%.

Who are the indigenous people of Kern County? ›

The Tubatulabal Tribe.

The Tübatulabal people have always occupied the lower regions of the Southern Sierra Nevada surrounding the North and South Forks of the Kern River.

What is the largest racial minority in California? ›

No single ethnic group forms a majority of California's population, making the state a minority-majority state. Hispanics (of any race) are the largest single ethnic group in the state.

Why is Bakersfield so famous? ›

Bakersfield is a significant hub for both agriculture and energy production. Kern County is California's most productive oil-producing county and the fourth most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States.

Is Bakersfield the fastest growing city in California? ›

This, coupled with an average household income of $88,190, makes Bakersfield one of the country's fastest-growing cities and it continues to grow as the top spot for affordable business and office space throughout Central and Southern California.

What is the obesity rate in Kern County? ›

According to Carrigan, 79% of Kern County adults are overweight or obese, with almost 50% of these adults being obese. 78.8% of Kern County's teen population is overweight or obese, with 17% being classified as obese.

What is Kern County known for? ›

Kern County has sometimes been referred to as “The Golden Empire,” because of its rich history of gold, oil, and agricultural production.

Is Kern County a good place to live? ›

Overall it is a great county to live in if you are looking for an affordable place to live and if you do not have asthma/allergies. Kern County is composed of the growing city of Bakersfield, and many smaller unique cities/towns that would otherwise be overlooked, but worth visiting.

What is the homicide rate in Kern County? ›

Kern County had the highest homicide rate per one hundred thousand people in California in 2020 with 12.7 and in 2021 with 13.7. In the most recent report released by California's Justice Department, Kern County dropped to second in the state with a rate of 11.1 in 2022, behind Merced County.

How many people are homeless in Kern County? ›

During the 2024 PIT Count a total of 2669 individuals were counted, 1006 comprised sheltered individuals and 1663 comprised unsheltered individuals. This is a 37% increase in the total number of individuals when compared to the 2023 PIT Count (1948 individuals) (see Appendix C Table 6).

What happened in Kern County California in 1939? ›

Picketers march at the courthouse in 1939 to protest the Board of Supervisors' ban of "The Grapes of Wrath." In 1939, many Kern County residents resented "The Grapes of Wrath," even to the point of banning -- and burning -- the book. Today Kern County is celebrating it.

What is the ethnicity of Monrovia CA? ›

Monrovia Demographics

White: 45.53% Two or more races: 18.48% Asian: 14.95% Other race: 14.09%

What is the ethnicity of Modesto CA? ›

In 2022, there were 2.38 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (88.5k people) in Modesto, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 37.1k White (Hispanic) and 31.6k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups. 42.6% of the people in Modesto, CA are hispanic (93.1k people).

What is the ethnicity makeup of California? ›

No race or ethnic group constitutes a majority of California's population: 40% of Californians are Latino, 35% are white, 15% are Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% are Black, 4% are multiracial, and fewer than 1% are Native American or Alaska Natives, according to the 2022 American Community Survey.

What is Kern County famous for? ›

Kern contributes more than 75% of onshore oil in California. A significant producer of natural gas, hydroelectric, solar and wind power (containing nearly 25% of California's renewable energy), Kern is also noted for its mineral wealth including gold, borate, kernite (or rasorite) and borax.

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