Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources
Typical home value$360,2050.0% YoY · prices are flat
Market right nowBalanced, leaning buyersMore homes for sale than last year, 18% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$78,085About 1.1× the local median income ($71,295): a stretch for a typical household
Days on market64 daysSlower than a year ago: buyers have time to negotiate
Next 12 months+1.6%Zillow expects prices to rise slightly
The typical home in Kern County, CA is worth $360,205, about the same as a year ago. That is well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $320,268, so the area is 12.5% overvalued. It is a balanced market, leaning toward buyers: homes take about 64 days to sell, listings are up 11% from a year ago, 18% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 1.6% over the next year. A household needs about $78,085 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $71,295. Typical rent is $1,822 a month, or $2,263 for a house. In the latest IRS figures, 1,426 more people moved out than in.
Home value over time
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.
Prices and affordability
Typical home value
$360,205
Change in 1 year
0.0%
Overvalued %
+12.5%
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Fair home value
$320,268
Change in 5 years
+22.2%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months
+1.6%
Home value to income
5.1×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)
$1,952
Income needed to afford it
$78,085
Property tax rate
0.88%
Rent and investing
Typical rent
$1,822
Typical rent for houses
$2,263
Price-to-rent ratio
16.5×
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HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,656
Gross rental yield
6.07%
Cap rate (estimate)
3.95%
Market activity
Listings vs a year ago
+11.1%
Days on market
64
Listings with a price cut
17.8%
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Homes for sale
2,475
Pending sales per 100 listings
35
Asking price per sq ft
$227
People and jobs
Median household income
$71,295
Population change (1 year)
+0.3%
Unemployment rate
8.6%
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Population
927,068
Income adjusted for cost of living
$70,659
Net moves in (IRS)
−1,426
Cost of living (US = 100)
100.9
Schools, risk and environment
School rating (1 to 10)
4.2
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)
98.9
Unhealthy air days a year
65
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Flood risk score
98.5
Wildfire risk score
99.7
Walkability (1 to 20)
9.9
Road, rail and air noise
54 dB
Questions people ask
Is Kern County, CA overvalued?
Home prices in Kern County, CA are well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $320,268, so the area is 12.5% overvalued.
Is Kern County, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
Kern County, CA is a balanced market, leaning toward buyers: homes take about 64 days to sell, listings are up 11% from a year ago, 18% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Kern County, CA?
Home values in Kern County, CA are up 0.0% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +1.6%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Kern County, CA?
A household needs about $78,085 a year to afford the typical home in Kern County, CA at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $71,295.