Kern County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.7 | 913,820 people · 1st most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Kern County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.7 — 404th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within California, it ranks 1st of 58 counties. It scores higher than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Kern County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 92.9 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 92.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 93
Economic Vitality 78.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 73
House Price Change (YoY) 73
Legal Distress 67.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Structural Poverty 64.5
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 79
Disability Rate 16
Transfer Income Dependency 36
Consumer Credit Distress 58.9
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Uninsured Rate 47
Subprime Credit Population 78

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Kern County
Kern County, CA 69.7 Serious —
San Bernardino County, CA 68.7 Serious -1.0
Kings County, CA 66.8 Serious -2.9
Tulare County, CA 66.6 Serious -3.0
Los Angeles County, CA 58.3 Elevated -11.4
Santa Barbara County, CA 48.5 Normal -21.1
Ventura County, CA 47.3 Normal -22.4
San Luis Obispo County, CA 42.8 Normal -26.9
Inyo County, CA 34.9 Healthy -34.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Kern County
Volusia County, FL 69.8 Serious +0.1
Pulaski County, AR 70.0 Serious +0.3
St. Lucie County, FL 70.2 Serious +0.5
Oklahoma County, OK 68.9 Serious -0.7
Gwinnett County, GA 68.5 Serious -1.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Kern County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Kern County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Kern County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Kern County, California?

    Kern County has a County Distress Index score of 69.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 404th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kern County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kern County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 92.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Kern County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kern County (69.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: San Bernardino County, CA (68.7); Kings County, CA (66.8); Tulare County, CA (66.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Kern County's score of 69.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Kern County's CDI score?

    Kern County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Kern County?

    Kern County, California has a population of approximately 913,820 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.