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Kern County, California

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Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235.[8] Its county seat is Bakersfield.[10]

Kern County
County
Official seal of Kern County
Seal
Map
Interactive map of Kern County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Coordinates: 35°20′N 118°43′W / 35.34°N 118.72°W / 35.34; -118.72
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
IncorporatedApril 2, 1866; 158 years ago (1866-04-02)
Named forKern River and Edward Kern
County seatBakersfield
Largest cityBakersfield (population)
California City (area)
Incorporated cities11
Government
 • TypeCouncil–Administration
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors [1][2][3][4]
 • ChairJeff Flores (N.P.)
 • Vice ChairVacant
 • Board of Supervisors[5]
Supervisors
  • Phillip Peters (N.P.)
  • Vacant
  • Jeff Flores (N.P.)
  • David Couch (N.P.)
  • Leticia Perez (N.P.)
 • Chief Administrative Officer[6]Ryan J. Alsop
Area
 • Total
8,163 sq mi (21,140 km2)
 • Land8,132 sq mi (21,060 km2)
 • Water31 sq mi (80 km2)
Highest elevation
[7]
8,755 ft (2,669 m)
Lowest elevation
[7]
206 ft (63 m)
Population
 (2020 Census)[8]
 • Total
909,235
 • Density110/sq mi (43/km2)
GDP
[9]
 • Total$57.541 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code661, 760
FIPS code06-029
GNIS feature ID2054176
Congressional districts20th, 22nd, 23rd
Websitekerncounty.com

Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county spans the southern end of the Central Valley. Covering 8,161.42 square miles (21,138.0 km2), it ranges west to the southern slope of the Coast Ranges, and east beyond the southern slope of the eastern Sierra Nevada into the Mojave Desert, at the city of Ridgecrest. Its northernmost city is Delano, and its southern reach extends to just beyond Frazier Park, and the northern extremity of the parallel Antelope Valley.

The county's economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction. There is also a strong aviation, space, and military presence, such as Edwards Air Force Base, the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, and the Mojave Air and Space Port.

With a population that is 54.9% Hispanic as of 2020, Kern is California's third-most populous majority-Hispanic county and the sixth-largest nationwide.[11]

History

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Indigenous Era

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Native Americans lived in this region for hundreds of years: Chumash, tribes grouped together under the settler name Yokuts, and others.[12]

Spanish era

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Spain claimed the area in 1769. Entering from Grapevine Canyon to the south in 1772, Commander Don Pedro Fages became the first European to set foot in the area.

The Battle of San Emigdio took place in Kern County in March 1824. The Chumash Native Americans of Mission Santa Barbara rebelled against the Mexican government and its taking over mission property and ejecting the natives. The battle occurred in the canyon where San Emigdio Creek flows down San Emigdio Mountain and the Blue Ridge, south of Bakersfield near today's Highway 166. Mexican forces from Monterey were commanded by Carlos Carrillo and the conflict was a low-casualty encounter, with only four Native Americans being killed and no Mexicans. The surviving Native Americans were pacified and brought back to Santa Barbara in June 1824 after a pursuit and negotiation in which many were allowed to keep their arms for the return march over the mountains.[13]

American era

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The Havilah Court building was restored in the 1970s and now serves as a museum. Photo circa 2007.

In the beginning, what was to become Kern County was dominated by mining in the mountains and in the desert. In 1855 the California legislature attempted to form a county in the area by giving the southeastern territory of Tulare County on the west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Buena Vista County. However, it was never officially organized prior to 1859, when the enabling legislation expired. The south of Tulare County was later organized as Kern County in 1866, with additions from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Its first county seat was the mining town of Havilah, in the mountains east of Bakersfield and north of Tehachapi.[14]

Settlers considered the flat land of the valley inhospitable and impassable at the time due to swamps, lakes, tule reeds and diseases such as malaria. This changed when residents started draining land for farming and constructing canals, most dug by hired Chinese laborers. Within 10 years the valley surpassed the mining areas as the economic power of the county, and as a result the county seat was moved from Havilah to Bakersfield in 1874.[citation needed]

In 1899, the discovery well of the Kern River Oil Field was dug by hand[15] and soon the towns of Oil City, Oil Center and Oildale came into existence.[15]

Etymology

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The county derives its name from the Kern River, which was named for Edward Kern, cartographer for General John C. Frémont's 1845 expedition, which crossed Walker Pass. The Kern River was originally named Rio Bravo de San Felipe by Father Francisco Garcés when he explored the area in 1776.

Earthquakes

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Main articles: 1952 Kern County earthquake and 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes

Throughout recorded history, severe earthquakes have struck Kern County, including the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake.

On July 21, 1952, an earthquake occurred with the epicenter about 23 miles (37 km) south of Bakersfield. It measured 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale and killed 12 people. In addition to the deaths, it was responsible for hundreds of injuries and more than $60 million in property damage. The main shock was felt over much of California and as far away as Phoenix, Arizona and Reno, Nevada. The earthquake occurred on the White Wolf Fault and was the strongest to occur in California since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Tehachapi suffered the greatest damage and loss of life from the earthquake, though its effects were widely felt throughout central and southern California. The event had a significant aftershock sequence that persisted into July and August with the strongest coming on August 22, an M5.8 event with a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) and resulted in two additional deaths and an additional $10 million in property damage. Repercussions of the sequence of earthquakes were still being felt in the heavily damaged downtown area of Bakersfield well into the 1990s as city leaders attempted to improve safety of the surviving non-reinforced masonry buildings.

Following the event, a field survey was conducted along the fault zone with the goal of estimating the peak ground acceleration of the shock based on visually evaluating rock formations and other indicators. Ground disturbances that were created by the earthquakes were also surveyed, both in the valley and in the foothills, with both vertical and horizontal displacements present in the epicenter area. The motion records that were acquired from the event were significant, and a reconnaissance report was recognized for its coverage of the event, and its setting a standard for similar engineering or scientific papers.

Abuse trials

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Between 1983 and 1986, several ritual sex ring child abuse cases occurred in Kern County, resulting in numerous long prison sentences, all of which were overturned—some of them decades later, because the prosecutors had coerced false testimonies from the purported child victims.[16] The details of these false accusations are covered extensively in the 2008 documentary Witch Hunt, narrated by Sean Penn.[17]

Geography

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Map of Kern County

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 8,163 square miles (21,140 km2), of which 8,132 square miles (21,060 km2) is land and 31 square miles (80 km2) (0.4%) is water.[18] It is the third-largest county by area in California. The tallest peak in the county is Sawmill Mountain with an elevation of 8822 ft. Its area is nearly the size of the state of New Hampshire; it extends:

Air quality

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Particulate pollution in Kern County varies with the seasons.

Kern County suffers from severe air pollution. Particulates cause poor visibility, especially in the winter. Western Kern County lies in the San Joaquin Valley and the topography traps pollutants. Although the topography is not as unfavorable in eastern Kern County, eastern Kern County is a non-attainment area for particulates.[19] Air pollution caused by particulates is "in the unhealthy range an average of 40 days a year, according to the American Lung Association's (ALA) 2018 State of the Air Report.[20]

Vegetation

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Chaparral comprises a considerable portion of the natural area within Kern County; the species diversity within these chaparral habitats, however, is considerably less than in many other regions of California.[21] Whitethorn is a prominent example of chaparral species on the rocky slopes of the Sierra Nevada as well as the Inner Coastal Ranges.[22] California Buckeye is a notable tree found in both chaparral and forests and whose southern range terminates in Kern County.[23]

National protected areas

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Demographics

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See also: List of populated places in Kern County, California
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18702,925—
18805,60191.5%
18909,80875.1%
190016,48068.0%
191037,715128.9%
192054,84345.4%
193082,57050.6%
1940135,12463.6%
1950228,30969.0%
1960291,98427.9%
1970329,16212.7%
1980403,08922.5%
1990543,47734.8%
2000661,64521.7%
2010839,63126.9%
2020909,2358.3%
2023 (est.)913,820[24]0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[25]
1790–1960[26] 1900–1990[27]
1990–2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[8]

According to the 2020 United States Census, Kern County's population was 909,235.[8] It was the eleventh-largest county by population in California.[30] The center of population of California is located in Kern County, in the town of Buttonwillow.[31]

2020 census

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Kern County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1990[32] Pop 2000[33] Pop 2010[29] Pop 2020[34] % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 340,892 327,190 323,794 279,600 62.72% 49.45% 38.56% 30.75%
Black or African American alone (NH) 28,851 37,845 45,377 46,776 5.31% 5.72% 5.40% 5.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 5,620 5,885 5,893 5,197 1.03% 0.89% 0.70% 0.57%
Asian alone (NH) 14,879 21,177 33,100 44,257 2.74% 3.20% 3.94% 4.87%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) N/A 728 995 1,127 N/A 0.11% 0.12% 0.12%
Other Race alone (NH) 1,240 989 1,472 4,557 0.23% 0.15% 0.18% 0.50%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) N/A 13,795 15,967 28,563 N/A 2.08% 1.90% 3.14%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 151,995 254,036 413,033 499,158 27.97% 38.39% 49.19% 54.90%
Total 543,477 661,645 839,631 909,235 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

According to the 2020 United States Census:[35]

  • Hispanic (54.9%)
  • White Non-Hispanic (30.8%)
  • Black (5.5%)
  • Asian (5.1%)
  • Two or more races (16.1%)
  • Indigenous (2.0%)
  • Some other race (30.2%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics may be counted in any race.)

2011

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Places by population, race, and income

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2010

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The 2010 United States Census reported that Kern County had a population of 839,631. The racial makeup of Kern County was 499,766 (59.5%) White, 48,921 (5.8%) African American, 12,676 (1.5%) Native American, 34,846 (4.2%) Asian, 1,252 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 204,314 (24.3%) from other races, and 37,856 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 413,033 persons (49.2%); 43.4% of Kern County residents are of Mexican heritage, 1.0% Salvadoran, 0.5% Colombian, and 0.4% Guatemalan.[44]

2000

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According to the 2000 United States Census[45] of 2000, there were 661,645 people, 208,652 households, and 156,489 families residing in the county. The population density was 81 people per square mile (31 people/km2). There were 231,564 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 61.6% White, 6.0% Black or African American, 3.4% Asian, 1.5% Native American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 23.2% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 38.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.4% were of German, 7.2% American and 5.7% Irish ancestry, according to the census. 66.8% spoke English, 29.1% Spanish and 1.0% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 208,652 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.50.[46]

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 31.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,446, and the median income for a family was $39,403. Males had a median income of $38,097 versus $25,876 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,760. About 16.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

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Kern County is associated with the Bakersfield sound. The Buck Owens Crystal Palace is located in Bakersfield.[47]

Metropolitan statistical area

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The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Kern County as the Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.[48] The United States Census Bureau ranked the Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 63rd most populous metropolitan statistical area and the 68th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.[49][50]

Government, policing, and politics

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Government

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Kern County is a California Constitution-defined general law county and is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors. The Board consists of five members, elected by districts, who serve four-year staggered terms. The county government provides countywide services such as elections and voter registration, some law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. In addition, the County serves as the local government for all unincorporated areas.

Safety

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Fire

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Logo of the Kern County Fire Department

The Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of the county, as well as the cities of Arvin, Delano, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and Wasco.[51]

Bakersfield has its own fire department, the Bakersfield Fire Department.

Sheriff

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The Kern County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for the entire county of approximately 900,000 in population. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county and by contract to certain municipalities. The main Sheriff's office and station is at Bakersfield. There are 15 sheriff substations for the widespread county.

Municipal police

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Municipal police departments in the county are: Bakersfield, population 384,000; Delano, 54,000; Ridgecrest, 29,000; Wasco, 28,000; Arvin, 21,000; Shafter, 20,000; McFarland, 15,000; California City, 14,671; Tehachapi, 13,000; Taft, 9,327; Maricopa (sheriff contract city), 1,200.

Politics and voter registration

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Cities by population and voter registration

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Federal

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Kern is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democratic candidate for president to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The county is also a Republican stronghold at the state level, with Jerry Brown being the last Democrat to win the county in a gubernatorial election in 1978. Kern remains the only county in Southern California that consistently votes Republican in recent elections. However, Republican margins in the county have shrunk recently, with Donald Trump's 10.2% margin of victory in 2020 being the smallest since Gerald Ford's 6.7% majority in 1976. This makes constituencies in Kern County in particular some of the most widely contested in California, and the United States as of the early 2020s,[53][54] with the 2022 race for the 22nd US House district being close, and the 26th Senate District having one of the tightest margins in electoral history, with incumbent Democrat Melissa Hurtado retaining her seat by 13 votes.[55]

Democratic strength is concentrated in the small agricultural towns in the San Joaquin Valley portion of the county, such as Arvin, Delano, McFarland, Shafter and Wasco. Unincorporated communities close to agricultural areas, such as Lamont and Lost Hills, are Democratic strongholds. The eastern and southern parts of Bakersfield, along with unincorporated East Bakersfield have also become reliably Democratic. Republican strength is found in the foothill, mountain and high desert communities of the county. The cities of Maricopa, Ridgecrest, Taft and Tehachapi are Republican strongholds. Along with the northern parts of Bakersfield, the wealthy unincorporated area of Rosedale and working-class Oildale are also seen as being strongly Republican. Cities like California City and the western areas of Bakersfield are seen as competitive in most elections. Bakersfield as a whole is seen as being competitive with a Republican lean. The remainder of the unincorporated areas of Kern County are seen as strongly Republican.

United States presidential election results for Kern County, California[56]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 167,809 59.27% 108,186 38.21% 7,124 2.52%
2020 164,484 53.88% 133,366 43.68% 7,442 2.44%
2016 129,584 53.07% 98,689 40.42% 15,890 6.51%
2012 126,618 56.99% 89,495 40.28% 6,076 2.73%
2008 134,793 57.65% 93,457 39.97% 5,558 2.38%
2004 140,417 66.49% 68,603 32.49% 2,154 1.02%
2000 110,663 60.70% 66,003 36.20% 5,642 3.09%
1996 92,151 53.77% 62,658 36.56% 16,582 9.67%
1992 80,762 45.05% 60,510 33.75% 37,991 21.19%
1988 90,550 61.48% 55,083 37.40% 1,660 1.13%
1984 94,776 65.03% 49,567 34.01% 1,401 0.96%
1980 72,842 59.65% 41,097 33.65% 8,182 6.70%
1976 58,023 52.29% 50,567 45.57% 2,371 2.14%
1972 71,686 60.14% 41,937 35.18% 5,570 4.67%
1968 53,990 46.61% 49,284 42.55% 12,558 10.84%
1964 45,014 41.18% 64,174 58.71% 120 0.11%
1960 52,800 50.43% 51,440 49.13% 465 0.44%
1956 46,220 51.31% 43,533 48.33% 322 0.36%
1952 46,497 55.13% 37,240 44.16% 602 0.71%
1948 24,464 41.60% 33,029 56.16% 1,318 2.24%
1944 20,730 43.96% 26,205 55.56% 226 0.48%
1940 19,445 37.30% 32,202 61.78% 479 0.92%
1936 8,345 24.20% 25,726 74.61% 408 1.18%
1932 7,011 25.11% 19,634 70.32% 1,275 4.57%
1928 14,692 62.67% 8,541 36.43% 212 0.90%
1924 8,646 46.08% 3,159 16.84% 6,958 37.08%
1920 7,079 49.01% 6,095 42.20% 1,270 8.79%
1916 5,611 35.11% 9,566 59.86% 804 5.03%
1912 67 0.62% 5,569 51.73% 5,129 47.65%
1908 2,270 45.60% 2,215 44.50% 493 9.90%
1904 2,359 51.61% 1,724 37.72% 488 10.68%
1900 1,692 45.17% 1,960 52.32% 94 2.51%
1896 1,430 43.80% 1,763 54.00% 72 2.21%
1892 992 39.47% 1,266 50.38% 255 10.15%
1888 910 41.46% 1,229 55.99% 56 2.55%
1884 598 42.02% 798 56.08% 27 1.90%
1880 463 40.94% 661 58.44% 7 0.62%

In the United States House of Representatives, Kern County is split between California's 20th congressional district, represented by Republican Vince Fong, California's 22nd congressional district, represented by Republican David Valadao, and California's 23rd congressional district, represented by Republican Jay Obernolte.

State

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In the State Assembly, Kern County is split between the following four Assembly districts:

In the State Senate, Kern County is split between the 14th Senate District, represented by Democrat Anna Caballero, and the 16th Senate District, represented by Democrat Melissa Hurtado.[58]

On November 4, 2008, Kern County voted 75.29% in favor of Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[59]

County

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Kern County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Jeff Flores of District 3 currently serves as chairman. As of August 2, 2024, they are:[60]

  • District 1, Philip Peters.
  • District 2, Vacant.
  • District 3, Jeff Flores.
  • District 4, David Couch.
  • District 5, Leticia Perez.

Crime and public safety

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Fire protection within the county is provided by the Kern County Fire Department. Law enforcement within the county is provided by the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Fire

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Main article: Kern County Fire Department

The Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) is an agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the county of Kern, California, USA. Over 625 permanent employees and 100 extra help employees protect an area which spans over 8,000 square miles (21,000 km2). KCFD provides fire protection services for over 500,000 citizens living in the unincorporated areas of Kern County and the cities of Arvin, Delano, Maricopa, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi and Wasco. This agency is contracted to provide dispatch services for the California City Fire Department. Over 546 uniformed firefighters are stationed in 46 fire stations throughout the county.

Sheriff's Office

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Main article: Kern County Sheriff's Department

The Kern County Sheriff's Department is the agency responsible for law enforcement within the county of Kern. The department provides law enforcement within the county, maintains the jails used by both the county and municipal cities, and provides search and rescue. The department contains over 1,200 sworn deputies and civilian employees. Its jurisdiction contains all of the unincorporated areas of Kern County, approximately 8,000 square miles (21,000 km2). The department headquarters is located at 1350 Norris Road in Bakersfield. There are 15 additional substations located throughout the county. The metro patrol area is divided into four regions: north, south, east, and west.

In 2009, the district attorney claimed "the highest per capita prison commitment rate of any major California county." Kern County contains multiple state and federal prisons, including two private prisons. The county is among the most prolific with the death penalty, assigning death penalty sentences in 26 cases since 1976. In 2015 Kern County policemen from all departments killed more people per capita than any other American county. Because of the very harsh local criminal justice system, Kern County has been dubbed "the most punitive authoritarian jurisdiction on the west coast" and "Oklahoma of the west".[61] In 2015, it was revealed that the Kern County Sheriff's office engaged in a longstanding program of attempted cash payoffs to women who had accused deputies of sexual assault. In the same year, a civil lawsuit filed by a survivor of a sexual assault committed by Kern County Sheriff's deputy Gabriel Lopez was settled for $1 million.[62]

Kern County had the most deaths per capita in the US by police shooting per an article published in The Guardian on December 1, 2015.[63] In 2015 to the date of publication of the article, there have been 13 deaths by police shootings in a county of less than 875,000 population, or 0.016 per thousand persons. By comparison, during the same period of time in New York City, a population 10 times the size with a police force more than 20 times the size, there were 9 such deaths.[64]

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

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Economy

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The county has a large agricultural base and is a significant producer of oil, natural gas, hydro-electric power, Biomass, solar power, and wind power. Kern is noted for minerals, including gold, borate, and kernite. The largest open pit mine in California, which mines borax, is at Boron.[68] As of October 1, 2016, Kern County contains nearly 25% of California's in-state renewable energy production, including 1,785 MW of solar power and 3,310 MW of wind power.[69] Kern County is home to the Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, which was commissioned in 2014.[70]

Aerospace and military

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Department of Defense facilities include Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. As home to Edwards Air Force Base the Air Force's main flight test facility, Kern has been the site of many milestones, including the first supersonic flight and the first landing of the Space Shuttle. The base has brought prosperity to the railroad towns of Mojave and Rosamond.[71] Kern County is also the home of the first inland spaceport in the United States, the Mojave Spaceport.[72]

Agriculture

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This has long been one of the county's biggest industries.[73] Between 2012 and 2013 the produced value of ag products increased 6%, to a total of $6.8 billion.[73] Grape is 31%, almond is 17%, milk is 13%, citrus is 11%, cattle + calves and pistachio are both 7%, carrots are only 6% (but that's 80% of carrots for the entire United States), hay is 4%, and cotton and potatoes are both 2%, of that.[73] This is one of the highest-producing locations in the United States for vegetables, and also for watermelons.[74] Vegetables are estimated to total $320 million every year.[74] There are about 1,938 farms, at an average size of 1,202 acres (486 ha) (however 41% are smaller than 50 acres (20 ha)), being the primary employment of 63% of operators.[73]

Major producer of almonds[75] with production greater than 100 million pounds (45,000 t; 50,000 short tons) annually.[73] That is third of all the counties, 16% of the state's production.[73] (See also almond in California.)

Pistachio is another important employer here.[76] The Michailides & Avenot group finds severe boscalid resistance in isolates of Alternaria alternata pathogenic on pistachio here.[76] They find extensive such resistance in a swathe from the center down into the central southern part of the state, but especially here.[76] (See also Pistachio in California and boscalid in California.)

The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis) is a major insect pest in this county, including in this county's citrus groves.[77] (See also Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter in California.)

Petroleum

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As of 2015, Kern is California's top oil-producing county, with 78% of the state's 56,653 active oil wells and 71% of oil production.[78][79] The county produced 144.5 million barrels of oil in 2015, accounting for about 4% of overall U.S. oil production.[78][80]

Discovery and development

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Oil development began with the 1894 discovery of the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, now the third-largest in the United States, in the southwestern portion of Kern County near Maricopa. The 1899 discovery along the Kern River was a breakthrough in oil production.[15] Oil was refined here even before the establishment of the county.[15] The Buena Vista Petroleum Company was organized and incorporated in 1864.[15] Soon thereafter a refinery was built that operated until April 1867 when work ceased because of high freight charges.[15]

The 1910 Lakeview Gusher was the largest recorded oil strike in U.S. history. The well spewed approximately nine million barrels for 18 months before workers finally were able to cap it.[81]

Other big oil fields in southwestern Kern County discovered early in the 20th century include the Buena Vista, the South Belridge and the Cymric fields. The latter is the fastest-growing field in California in terms of barrels produced per year.[82] Later large fields include the Kern River Oil Field, the fifth-largest in the U.S., the adjacent Kern Front Oil Field, the Mount Poso Oil Field in the lower foothills of the Sierra north-northeast of Bakersfield and the Fruitvale Oil Field, which underlies much of the city of Bakersfield, along and north of the Kern River.[83][84]

On July 22, 2009, Occidental Petroleum announced it had discovered the equivalent of 150 million to 250 million barrels of oil in Kern County, which the company called the largest oil discovery in California in 35 years. The find added about 10 percent to California's known reserves. Occidental's Ray Irani said it is likely that more oil would be found in the areas outside the initial six wells that tapped the discovery. Occidental has not revealed the exact location of the find, two-thirds of which is natural gas. BNET, an industry web publication, said the find would add to the company's 708 million barrels of proven reserves in California.[citation needed]

Petroleum today

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The county today contributes more than three-quarters of all the oil produced onshore in California.[82] Some of the large oil fields in Kern County which are still active include:

Transportation

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Main article: Transportation in Kern County

Major highways

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Public transportation

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Airports

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Main article: List of airports in Kern County, California

Meadows Field is the only airport in the county served by scheduled commercial passenger flights.

Recreation

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Outdoor recreational activities include horseback riding, water skiing (Lake Isabella, Lake Buena Vista, Lake Ming, and private ski ranches). Off-roading and other motorsports take place at Jawbone Canyon, California City, Randsburg, Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, Bakersfield Speedway, Famoso Raceway, and the half-mile Kern County Raceway Park. Hunting, paintball, white-water rafting, kayaking (Kern River), snow skiing (Shirley Meadows and Mount Pinos), shooting ranges (5 Dogs Range), hiking, biking (trails, paths, and roads), camping and fishing are also part of the recreational culture.

Media

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Magazines

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  • Bakersfield Life Magazine, Kern County
  • Bakersfield Magazine, Kern County
  • Kern County Family Magazine, Kern County

Newspapers

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TV stations

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Kern County is served by stations based in Bakersfield, including:

California City, Ridgecrest, and other areas in the Mojave Desert regions of eastern Kern County may instead receive Los Angeles stations.

Communities

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Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County Total
Population		 White African
American		 Native
American		 Asian Pacific
Islander		 other
races		 two or
more races		 Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Kern County 839,631 499,766 48,921 12,676 34,846 1,252 204,314 37,856 413,033
Incorporated
city		 Total
Population		 White African
American		 Native
American		 Asian Pacific
Islander		 other
races		 two or
more races		 Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Arvin 19,304 10,247 192 240 155 6 7,655 809 17,892
Bakersfield 347,483 197,349 28,368 5,102 21,432 478 77,686 17,068 158,205
California City 14,120 9,188 2,150 132 367 59 1,431 793 5,385
Delano 53,041 19,304 4,191 501 6,757 30 20,307 1,951 37,913
Maricopa 1,154 958 1 27 16 2 112 38 232
McFarland 12,707 5,433 236 171 84 6 6,330 447 11,625
Ridgecrest 27,616 21,387 1,113 341 1,209 143 1,836 1,587 4,941
Shafter 16,988 8,150 219 198 111 19 7,645 646 13,634
Taft 9,327 7,388 396 118 93 65 1,023 244 3,353
Tehachapi 14,414 9,426 1,297 206 238 21 2,725 501 5,466
Wasco 25,545 12,579 1,951 283 180 12 9,714 826 19,585
Census-designated
place		 Total
Population		 White African
American		 Native
American		 Asian Pacific
Islander		 other
races		 two or
more races		 Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Bear Valley Springs 5,172 4,776 74 46 57 3 89 127 399
Bodfish 1,956 1,758 4 50 13 3 49 79 189
Boron 2,253 1,746 162 49 47 4 141 104 406
Buttonwillow 1,508 534 36 11 10 0 890 27 1,183
Cherokee Strip 227 84 0 4 0 0 117 22 187
China Lake Acres 1,876 1,601 35 29 16 7 84 104 265
Derby Acres 322 289 0 1 0 0 23 9 36
Dustin Acres 652 539 4 9 1 0 71 28 129
Edmundson Acres 279 108 5 3 1 0 143 19 225
Edwards Air Force Base 2,063 1,518 165 16 99 10 96 159 355
Fellows 106 94 1 5 0 0 2 4 11
Ford City 4,278 2,735 28 153 36 32 1,113 181 1,971
Frazier Park 2,691 2,297 16 31 22 3 212 110 528
Fuller Acres 991 607 13 12 1 0 329 29 768
Golden Hills 8,656 7,235 129 124 120 15 670 363 1,674
Greenacres 5,566 4,612 49 116 70 8 511 200 1,119
Greenfield 3,991 2,512 71 63 45 1 1,112 187 2,263
Inyokern 1,099 930 14 24 25 2 49 55 116
Johannesburg 172 152 2 2 8 0 0 8 8
Keene 431 385 2 10 8 0 16 10 47
Kernville 1,395 1,257 1 19 7 0 33 78 82
Lake Isabella 3,466 3,069 6 96 18 7 73 197 339
Lake of the Woods 917 820 3 18 11 0 34 31 123
Lamont 15,120 6,677 130 230 72 9 7,351 651 14,293
Lebec 1,468 1,152 14 46 17 0 148 91 395
Lost Hills 2,412 132 5 1 17 1 2,232 24 2,354
McKittrick 115 101 1 1 0 0 7 5 9
Mettler 136 74 0 0 0 0 43 19 109
Mexican Colony 281 162 0 15 0 0 93 11 227
Mojave 4,238 2,381 638 54 53 19 867 226 1,592
Mountain Mesa 777 687 7 16 6 2 27 32 77
North Edwards 1,058 847 43 26 20 1 60 61 179
Oildale 32,684 27,463 255 590 316 30 2,635 1,395 6,301
Onyx 475 406 4 9 0 0 16 40 30
Pine Mountain Club 2,315 2,079 29 25 45 0 58 79 231
Randsburg 69 62 0 4 2 0 0 1 2
Rosamond 18,150 11,294 1,476 221 658 66 3,258 1,177 6,230
Rosedale 14,058 11,695 208 159 389 24 997 586 2,495
Smith Corner 524 227 10 3 2 3 263 16 440
South Taft 2,169 1,404 21 55 5 11 596 77 931
Squirrel Mountain Valley 547 509 2 9 1 0 13 13 22
Stallion Springs 2,488 2,239 30 26 32 7 79 75 285
Taft Heights 1,949 1,602 15 35 11 0 220 66 441
Tupman 161 149 0 0 0 0 2 10 12
Valley Acres 527 428 1 10 1 0 42 45 121
Weedpatch 2,658 1,212 8 78 14 0 1,237 109 2,484
Weldon 2,642 2,375 5 82 11 1 53 115 217
Wofford Heights 2,200 2,037 6 41 10 1 26 79 156
Other
unincorporated areas		 Total
Population		 White African
American		 Native
American		 Asian Pacific
Islander		 other
races		 two or
more races		 Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined) 138,644 81,305 5,079 2,730 1,907 141 41,670 5,812 82,746

Cities

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Former places

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Population ranking

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The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Kern County.[88]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 Census)
1 † Bakersfield City 403,455
2 Delano City 51,428
3 Oildale CDP 36,135
4 Ridgecrest City 27,959
5 Wasco City 27,047
6 Rosamond CDP 20,961
7 Shafter City 19,953
8 Arvin City 19,495
9 Rosedale CDP 18,639
10 California City City 14,973
11 McFarland City 14,161
12 Lamont CDP 14,049
13 Tehachapi City 12,939
14 Golden Hills CDP 9,578
15 Taft City 8,546
16 Bear Valley Springs CDP 5,592
17 Greenacres CDP 5,496
18 Mojave CDP 4,699
19 Ford City CDP 4,348
20 Lake Isabella CDP 3,573
21 Greenfield CDP 3,447
22 Stallion Springs CDP 3,139
23 Frazier Park CDP 2,592
24 Pine Mountain Club CDP 2,422
25 Lost Hills CDP 2,370
26 Weldon CDP 2,303
27 Wofford Heights CDP 2,213
28 Weedpatch CDP 2,206
29 Edwards AFB CDP 2,135
30 South Taft CDP 2,100
31 Boron CDP 2,086
32 Bodfish CDP 2,008
33 Taft Heights CDP 1,999
34 China Lake Acres CDP 1,757
35 Kernville CDP 1,549
36 Buttonwillow CDP 1,337
37 Lebec CDP 1,239
38 North Edwards CDP 1,054
39 Maricopa City 1,026
40 Inyokern CDP 988
41 Fuller Acres CDP 917
42 Mountain Mesa CDP 823
43 Lake of the Woods CDP 790
44 Squirrel Mountain Valley CDP 760
45 Dustin Acres CDP 677
46 Smith Corner CDP 594
47 Valley Acres CDP 504
48 Keene CDP 469
49 Onyx CDP 457
50 Derby Acres CDP 301
51 Edmundson Acres CDP 296
52 Mexican Colony CDP 283
53 Cherokee Strip CDP 206
54 Tupman CDP 177
55 Johannesburg CDP 113
56 McKittrick CDP 102
57 Mettler CDP 90
58 Fellows CDP 52
59 Randsburg CDP 45

Education

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School districts include:[89]

Unified:

Secondary:

Elementary:

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The 2015 Disney film McFarland, USA, starring Kevin Costner, is based on the cross-country team in the city of McFarland, California, which is located in northern Kern County.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. ^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. ^ a b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

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  1. ^ "Phillip Peters, Supervisor, District 1 from Kern County, California".
  2. ^ "Mike Maggard, Supervisor, District 3 from Kern County, California".
  3. ^ "David Couch, Supervisor, District 4 from Kern County, California".
  4. ^ "Leticia Perez, Supervisor, District 5 from Kern County, California".
  5. ^ "Board of Supervisors | Kern County, CA".
  6. ^ "County Administrative Office | Kern County, CA".
  7. ^ a b Physical Features of Kern County Archived April 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. County of Kern. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d "QuickFacts Kern county, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Kern County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  10. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  11. ^ "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". 2020 Census. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Native Land Digital Map". Native-Land.ca. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of California. The History Company, Publishers. San Francisco, 1886. pp. 532-536.
  14. ^ 1865-1866 Calif. Stats., Chap. 569, § 3
  15. ^ a b c d e f Hoover, p.128
  16. ^ Truth In Justice Archived April 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed January 28, 2008.
  17. ^ Witch Hunt at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata 
  18. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  19. ^ Particulate Matter (PM-10) Nonattainment Area/State/County Report, September 16, 2010 [1]
  20. ^ Borrell, Brendan (December 3, 2018). "In California's Fertile Valley, a Bumper Crop of Air Pollution". Undark. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  21. ^ The Wasmann Journal of Biology (1967) University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, v.25
  22. ^ Arthur Sampson (1963) California Range Brushlands and Browse Plants, ANR Publications, 162 pages ISBN 0-931876-54-0
  23. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Aesculus californica, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Strömberg Archived November 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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  29. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Kern County, California". United States Census Bureau.
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  38. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  39. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  40. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
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  43. ^ Data unavailable
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  49. ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". 2012 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 2013. Archived from the original (CSV) on April 1, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  50. ^ "Table 2. Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". 2012 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 2013. Archived from the original (CSV) on May 17, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  51. ^ "Stations List". Kern County Fire Department. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
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  53. ^ "Kern County isn't as 'red' as you might think it is". KERO 23 ABC News Bakersfield. November 7, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  54. ^ Hoeven, Emily (October 21, 2022). "Inside California's overlooked political powerhouse". CalMatters. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  55. ^ Patrick, Lacey (January 20, 2023). "Hurtado secures her victory in senate district 16 election". The Sun-Gazette Newspaper. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  56. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  57. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  58. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
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  61. ^ Bslko, Radley (December 3, 2015). "America's killingest counties". Washington Post. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  62. ^ Laughland, Oliver (May 9, 2016). "California's Kern County settles for $1m over sexual assault by sheriff's deputy". The Guardian. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  63. ^ Swaine, Jon; Laughland, Oliver; Ryan, Mae; team, Guardian US interactive (December 1, 2015). "The County: the story of America's deadliest police". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
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  66. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
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Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kern County, California.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kern County.
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