Kern County Demographics

A map of Kern County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Hispanic	516,662	499,158	56.5%	54.9%
White	270,456	279,600	29.6%	30.8%
Asian	46,223	44,257	5.1%	4.9%
Black	43,987	46,776	4.8%	5.1%
Multiracial	27,872	28,563	3.0%	3.1%
Native American/Other	9,875	10,881	1.1%	1.2%

Kern County, California has an estimated population of 915,075, a less than 1% change from the 909,235 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 56.5% Hispanic, 29.6% White, 5.1% Asian, 4.8% Black, 3.0% Multiracial, and 1.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Kern County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Kern has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Kern County, that probability was 59.8% in 2020 and 58.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Kern County is ranked the 11th most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. Kern County was ranked the 11th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Kern County's White Population

270,456 residents of Kern County, or 29.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Kern County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Kern County ranks 47th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.3%. White residents' share of Kern County's population has decreased from 30.8% to 29.6%.

Kern County is more White than neighboring Tulare County (25.5% White), Los Angeles County (24.7% White), and Kings County (28% White). Kern County is less White than neighboring Ventura County (41.9% White), and Santa Barbara County (40.6% White).

Kern County's Black Population

43,987 residents of Kern County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Kern County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Kern County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's Black population has declined by an estimated 6.0%. Black residents' share of Kern County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.8%.

Kern County is more Black than neighboring Tulare County (1.3% Black), Ventura County (1.7% Black), and Santa Barbara County (1.5% Black). Kern County is less Black than neighboring Los Angeles County (7.4% Black), and Kings County (5.8% Black).

Kern County's Asian Population

46,223 residents of Kern County, or 5.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Kern County is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Kern County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 4.4%. Asian residents' share of Kern County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.1%.

Kern County is more Asian than neighboring Tulare County (3.5% Asian), and Kings County (3.6% Asian). Kern County is less Asian than neighboring Ventura County (7.1% Asian), Los Angeles County (14.9% Asian), and Santa Barbara County (5.2% Asian).

Kern County's Hispanic Population

516,662 residents of Kern County, or 56.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Kern County is significantly higher than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Kern County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Kern County's population has increased from 54.9% to 56.5%.

Kern County is more Hispanic than neighboring Ventura County (44.3% Hispanic), Los Angeles County (48.4% Hispanic), and Santa Barbara County (48.2% Hispanic). Kern County is less Hispanic than neighboring Tulare County (66.6% Hispanic), and Kings County (58.2% Hispanic).

Kern County's Native American/Other Population

9,875 residents of Kern County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Kern County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Kern County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 9.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Kern County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Kern County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Ventura County (0.9% Native American/Other), Los Angeles County (1% Native American/Other), and Santa Barbara County (0.8% Native American/Other). Kern County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Kings County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Kern County's Multiracial Population

27,872 residents of Kern County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Kern County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Kern County ranks 49th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Kern County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 2.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Kern County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Kern County is more Multiracial than neighboring Tulare County (2% Multiracial). Kern County is less Multiracial than neighboring Ventura County (4.1% Multiracial), Los Angeles County (3.5% Multiracial), Kings County (3.2% Multiracial), and Santa Barbara County (3.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.