Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $276,553 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 11.2% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,219 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.4% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Kern County is about 57% lower than in California. Rent is about 38% lower than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kern County, up about 11.2% and 4.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Kern County rose about 37.5% between 2015 and 2023, from $887 to $1,219. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.1 yearly household incomes in Kern County.
Buying the median-priced home in Kern County costs roughly 18.9 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Kern County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $276,553 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $67,683 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.1 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Kern County rose about 115.4%, while median household income rose about 46.6% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 55.3% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 37.1% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 7.6% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Kern County has a homeownership rate of 55.3%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 7.6%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Kern County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 3.15 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1984 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Kern County was built around 1984. On average, 3.1 people live in a home with about 5.2 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Kern County, California.
What is the median home price in Kern County, California?
The median home price in Kern County, California is $276,553, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Kern County, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Kern County, California?
The median gross rent in Kern County, California is $1,219 per month, lower than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Kern County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Kern County, California was $993 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Kern County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Kern County, California is about 18.9, meaning it would take roughly 18.9 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Kern County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Kern County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Kern County, up about 11.2% and 4.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Kern County, California?
55.3% of households in Kern County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Kern County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Kern County, California is 7.6%, about the same as the California average.