Rental numbers for Kern County, CA
The typical home here runs -$1,129 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.6%. 0 of 18 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.9%.
- Gross yield
- 5.9%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 5.9%
- 18 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$1,129/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $363,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,785/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in Kern County
39 with published figures
| 93252Maricopa | $189,000 | $2,430* | 15.4% | 10.6% | +$648 | n/a |
| 93516Boron | $166,000 | $2,080* | 15.0% | 10.0% | +$489 | n/a |
| 93523Edwards | $206,000 | $2,220* | 13.0% | 8.7% | +$382 | n/a |
| 93268Taft | $206,000 | $1,346 | 7.8% | 3.9% | -$437 | n/a |
| 93505California City | $275,000 | $1,781 | 7.8% | 4.3% | -$485 | +3.6% |
| 93205Bodfish | $194,000 | $1,250* | 7.8% | 3.8% | -$429 | n/a |
| 93225Frazier Park | $323,000 | $1,970* | 7.3% | 4.0% | -$659 | n/a |
| 93283Weldon | $207,000 | $1,250* | 7.2% | 3.6% | -$502 | n/a |
| 93240Lake Isabella | $220,000 | $1,320* | 7.2% | 3.5% | -$537 | n/a |
| 93501Mojave | $235,000 | $1,390* | 7.1% | 3.9% | -$512 | n/a |
| 93285Wofford Heights | $227,000 | $1,320* | 7.0% | 3.6% | -$543 | n/a |
| 93313Bakersfield | $414,000 | $2,382 | 6.9% | 3.6% | -$1,001 | +4.3% |
| 93243Lebec | $376,000 | $2,070* | 6.6% | 3.4% | -$971 | n/a |
| 93307Bakersfield | $320,000 | $1,750 | 6.6% | 3.3% | -$858 | +6.1% |
| 93206Buttonwillow | $235,000 | $1,280* | 6.5% | 3.0% | -$670 | n/a |
| 93222Pine Mountain Club | $377,000 | $2,050* | 6.5% | 3.5% | -$948 | n/a |
| 93518Caliente | $315,000 | $1,700* | 6.5% | 3.4% | -$808 | n/a |
| 93560Rosamond | $409,000 | $2,182 | 6.4% | 3.2% | -$1,125 | n/a |
| 93312Bakersfield | $457,000 | $2,421 | 6.3% | 3.1% | -$1,289 | +1.1% |
| 93263Shafter | $386,000 | $2,008 | 6.2% | 3.2% | -$1,063 | n/a |
| 93255Onyx | $242,000 | $1,250* | 6.2% | 2.7% | -$756 | n/a |
| 93241Lamont | $249,000 | $1,250* | 6.0% | 2.7% | -$776 | n/a |
| 93306Bakersfield | $348,000 | $1,744 | 6.0% | 2.7% | -$1,082 | +2.7% |
| 93561Tehachapi | $424,000 | $2,080 | 5.9% | 2.8% | -$1,304 | +3.8% |
| 93304Bakersfield | $295,000 | $1,431 | 5.8% | 2.6% | -$958 | +3.3% |
| 93249Lost Hills | $265,000 | $1,250* | 5.7% | 2.2% | -$936 | n/a |
| 93305La Cresta - Altavista | $270,000 | $1,261 | 5.6% | 2.3% | -$940 | -0.3% |
| 93309Bakersfield | $347,000 | $1,604 | 5.5% | 2.4% | -$1,178 | +3.7% |
| 93308Bakersfield | $347,000 | $1,600 | 5.5% | 2.3% | -$1,212 | +3.1% |
| 93555Ridgecrest | $269,000 | $1,219 | 5.4% | 2.1% | -$979 | -0.1% |
| 93203Arvin | $301,000 | $1,350* | 5.4% | 2.1% | -$1,096 | n/a |
| 93311Bakersfield | $473,000 | $2,061 | 5.2% | 2.2% | -$1,699 | +3.0% |
| 93314Bakersfield | $576,000 | $2,441 | 5.1% | 2.0% | -$2,126 | +2.8% |
| 93250Mc Farland | $319,000 | $1,340* | 5.0% | 2.0% | -$1,178 | n/a |
| 93301Bakersfield | $310,000 | $1,290 | 5.0% | 1.8% | -$1,197 | +4.0% |
| 93280Wasco | $316,000 | $1,250* | 4.7% | 1.8% | -$1,234 | n/a |
| 93215Delano | $335,000 | $1,318 | 4.7% | 1.9% | -$1,276 | n/a |
| 93238Kernville | $335,000 | $1,290* | 4.6% | 1.1% | -$1,510 | n/a |
| 93531Keene | $640,000 | $1,600* | 3.0% | 0.6% | -$3,145 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- -0.0%
- Rent, 12 months
- +2.4%
- Rent minus price growth
- +2.5 pts
- Property tax
- 0.88%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $293,503 | $1,349 |
| Aug 2022 | $340,765 | $1,566 |
| Aug 2023 | $340,956 | $1,628 |
| Aug 2024 | $359,514 | $1,681 |
| Aug 2025 | $362,943 | $1,743 |
| Aug 2026 | $362,784 | $1,785 |
HUD Fair Market Rent
FY2027, Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA
| Bedrooms | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Market Rent | $1,265 | $1,273 | $1,656 | $2,293 | $2,768 |
The 40th percentile gross rent for a standard unit, set by HUD each October and used for Section 8 payment standards. It runs below market rent; Zillow's index is shown above where it exists.
Supply
- Permits per 1,000 households
- 10.3
- 2,949 units, last 12 months
- National percentile
- 73th
- among US counties
Tools
Test a listing in Kern County against today's rate.
Open the calculatorPart of the Bakersfield, CA metro.
Questions
- Is Kern County good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$1,129 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.6%. 0 of 18 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this county are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 5.9%. The figures use a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and default costs shown on each ZIP page. They describe the market, not any one property.
- What is the property tax rate in Kern County?
- About 0.88% of value, from Census ACS median taxes paid over median home value. On a $363,000 home that is about $3,200 a year.
- What is Fair Market Rent in Kern County?
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent here is $1,273 for a 1-bedroom, $1,656 for a 2-bedroom and $2,293 for a 3-bedroom. Typical cash flow at today's rate is -$1,129 a month.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- HUD Fair Market Rents by county, FY2027
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2027.
County rent by bedroom count on county pages.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
- Building Permits Survey, county monthly files
US Census Bureau. Read: 2025-09 to 2026-08.
New housing units permitted in the last 12 months per 1,000 households, a supply-pressure signal.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.