Health Profile of Kern County, California
Kern County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Kern County Around averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.8% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 21.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Kern County is 76.7 years, about 2.9 years shorter than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 7.8%, higher than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 21.5% of residents, higher than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
239,672 residents in Kern County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,657 4,017 men · 6,640 women
- 75–84 28,969 12,937 men · 16,032 women
- 65–74 59,426 28,471 men · 30,955 women
- 50–64 140,621 70,523 men · 70,097 women
Younger residents
250,397 residents in Kern County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 80,766 41,294 boys · 39,472 girls
- 7–12 75,527 38,517 boys · 37,010 girls
- 3–7 54,829 27,880 boys · 26,949 girls
- 0–3 39,276 20,000 boys · 19,276 girls
About 33,529 residents in Kern County (3.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 76.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.5% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.0% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.1% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 34.8% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of cancer in Kern County is about 21% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 17.6% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.7% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Kern County is about 26% higher than in California. The rate of smoking in Kern County is about 18% higher than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.3 million a month, or 393.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 11.9 million minutes a day and 4.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Kern County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 107 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 10.86 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 10.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Kern County is moderate — acceptable air quality, though unusually sensitive individuals may notice effects.
Kern County, CA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Kern County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 915,060 residents against a local median of 478,693. Where Kern County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is obesity, sitting 20% above the local median of 29.0% at 34.8%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 7.0% on obesity, so Kern County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Kern County, CA has the 4th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County, CA | 915,060 | 76.7 yrs #6/6 | 7.8% #3/6 | 34.8% #4/6 |
| Tulare County, CA | 478,693 | 78.0 yrs | 8.1% | 35.8% |
| Ventura County, CA | 836,943 | 81.0 yrs | 7.3% | 29.0% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | 80.6 yrs | 8.2% | 29.0% |
| Kings County, CA | 153,298 | 78.4 yrs | 7.3% | 35.1% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 443,693 | 81.3 yrs | 8.7% | 28.9% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Kern County, California has an overall health index grade of B, making it about on par with California, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Kern County, California.
Is Kern County, California a healthy place to live?
Kern County, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Kern County, California one of the healthiest counties in California?
Kern County ranks 53rd healthiest out of 58 counties in California by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Kern County, California?
People in Kern County, California can expect to live 76.7 years on average, 2.9 years shorter than the California average of 79.6.
How many people lack health insurance in Kern County, California?
7.8% of residents in Kern County, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 13 people, 1.3 points above the California rate of 6.6%.
What is the obesity rate in Kern County, California?
34.8% of adults in Kern County, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 4.2 points above the California rate of 30.6%.
What health issue is more common in Kern County, California than elsewhere?
Compared with California as a whole, physical inactivity stands out most: the adult rate here is 27.7%, about 26% higher than the California rate of 21.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Kern County, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 1.1 million cigarettes a day, 32.3 million a month, or 393.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 11.9 million minutes a day and 4.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Kern County is 76.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.29 lifetimes a day, or 107 lifetimes a year.
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