Property tax in Kern County, California
The median property tax bill in Kern County, California is $2,984 a year, which is about 0.88% of the county's median home value of $338,300. That effective rate is higher than the typical California county (0.7%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Kern County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Kern County's average effective rate of 0.88% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,977 / year
Property tax in Kern County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,984 |
| Median home value | $338,300 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.88% |
| Typical California county rate | 0.7% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Kern County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Kern County has the highest effective property-tax rate. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1387th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Kern County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Kern County's 171,133 owner-occupied homes, 47.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 66.7% pay at least $2,000, and 6.5% pay under $800. Another 4.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 11,090 | 6.5% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 21,308 | 12.5% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 16,725 | 9.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 33,080 | 19.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 81,140 | 47.4% |
| No property tax paid | 7,790 | 4.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,344 and owners without one pay $2,348. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Kern County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,984 is about 3.3% of the median income of Kern County homeowner households, $91,440 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 60.1% of Kern County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Kern County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,159 in 2015-2019 to $2,984 in 2020-2024, a 38.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 58.2%, from $213,900 to $338,300. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Kern County
Kern County borders 8 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County, CA (this county) | 0.88% | $2,984 | $338,300 |
| Kings County, CA | 0.75% | $2,425 | $324,300 |
| Inyo County, CA | 0.74% | $2,576 | $348,700 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 0.7% | $3,538 | $505,000 |
| Tulare County, CA | 0.7% | $2,318 | $330,100 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 0.68% | $5,675 | $834,200 |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 0.68% | $5,636 | $824,700 |
| Ventura County, CA | 0.68% | $5,574 | $822,700 |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 0.65% | $5,103 | $790,700 |
How is a home assessed in Kern County?
California sets the assessment rules and Kern County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Kern County?
Yes. California's Homeowners' Exemption takes $7,000 off the assessed value of an owner-occupied home. File form BOE-266 with the county assessor by February 15 for the full exemption. That is the California rule, and it applies in Kern County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Kern County?
Secured property tax is billed in two installments: the first is due November 1 (delinquent after December 10) and the second is due February 1 (delinquent after April 10), with a 10% penalty after each. Billed and collected by the county tax collector.
California splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the California rule. Kern County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Kern County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Assessment Appeals Board. The filing deadline is typically July 2 to September 15 (or November 30 in some counties). That is the California rule; Kern County sets the exact dates and forms. The California appeal process step by step.
California rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the California page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Kern County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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California income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what California actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Kern County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Kern County, California: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.