Kern County, California
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Kern County, California is more distressed than 89% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 28% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 3rd of 58 counties in California on the County Distress Index — 89 · very high county distress, more distressed than 89% of U.S. counties.
- 28% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 94th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at 9% — national median 4%, ranked at the 99th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Subprime credit share at 31% — national median 23%, ranked at the 78th percentile. Source: Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 172 — national median 126, ranked at the 67th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
Neighbors span five CDI score labels. The 58-point drop to Inyo County marks where the Central Valley distress corridor ends.
Kern County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Kern County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Kern County's value shown alongside CA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Kern | CA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 72 · Rank 795 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 4% | 5% | 62nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 5% | 5% | 75th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 31% | 20% | 23% | 78th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 65 · Rank 932 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 27% | 18% | 23% | 63rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 172 | 119 | 126 | 67th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 93 · Rank 92 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 28% | 27% | 21% | 93rd | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 28% | 26% | 18% | 94th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 90 · Rank 159 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 27% | 23% | 21% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 9% | 6% | 4% | 99th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 54 · Rank 1,430 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 24% | 16% | 17% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 13% | 16% | 18th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 13% | 13% | 82nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 8% | 6% | 8% | 50th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Kern County data.
Draft wire copy 131-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County is more distressed than 89% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Kern scores 89 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 89% of U.S. counties; its score label is very high county distress. Within California, Kern ranks third of 58 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Kern. 28% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kern County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Kern County's distress score?
How does Kern County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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