California · FIPS 06029 · ACS 2020–2024
Kern County, California property tax rate
Homeowners in Kern County paid a median of $2,984 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $338,300 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.89% of home value, 28% above the California rate of 0.70% and 5% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.89%Effective tax rate±0.03% margin · California: 0.70%
- $2,984Median tax per yearCalifornia: $5,124 · U.S.: $3,119
- $338,300Median home valueCalifornia: $734,700
- 171,133Owner-occupied homes60% of households own
| Measure | Kern County | California | U.S. | Kern County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.89% | 0.70% | 0.94% | 0.92% | −0.03 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $2,984 | $5,124 | $3,119 | $2,833 | +$151 (+5.3%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $3,344 | $5,839 | $3,489 | $3,142 | +$202 (+6.4%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $2,348 | $3,825 | $2,576 | $2,235 | +$113 (+5.1%) |
| Median home value | $338,300 | $734,700 | $332,700 | $310,600 | +$27,700 (+8.9%) |
| Total taxes paid | $574,943,000 | $51,076,257,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $545,299,000 |
How Kern County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $8.92 a year, against $6.98 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in California: 55 of 55 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 61% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.91% of value; homes without one: 0.85%. Median bills: $3,344 and $2,348.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.03 pts) and the median tax changed +$151 (+5.3%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.89% ± 0.03% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 171,133 owner-occupied homes.
California counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solano County | 0.78% | $4,621 | $617,700 |
| San Benito County | 0.79% | $6,441 | $793,400 |
| San Joaquin County | 0.79% | $3,960 | $530,700 |
| Yolo County | 0.79% | $4,749 | $620,700 |
| Placer County | 0.79% | $5,812 | $688,100 |
| Lassen County | 0.80% | $1,923 | $265,300 |
| Imperial County | 0.83% | $2,394 | $309,600 |
| Riverside County | 0.83% | $4,348 | $557,300 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.