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Kern County, California

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Kern County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 4.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 69 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

4%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Kern County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)6.1%
High water table (limits basements)1.4%
Septic fields very limited63.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.2%
Mapped soil5,263,805 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cajon6%n/a
Kimberlina4%n/a
Hesperia3%n/a
Walong2%n/a
Panoche2%n/a
Milham2%n/a
Tulare County: 14%Ventura County: 12%Kings County: 32%Los Angeles County: 4%Santa Barbara County: 12%San Luis Obispo County: 17%Fresno County: 14%Inyo County: no dataKern County TulareVenturaKingsLos AngelesSanta BarbaraSan Luis ObispoFresnoInyoKern
Kern County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas CA666 (2025-09-02), CA668 (2025-09-02), CA669 (2025-09-08), CA670 (2025-09-08), CA675 (2025-09-08), CA682 (2025-09-08), CA691 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.78 in, 2.83 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 8.95 in.

USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Kern County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

4.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 8 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 8.3% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the October 14, 2025 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse55.4%
D1 moderate drought or worse4.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

69 flood losses since 2016, $481,549 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 87% slabs, 9% crawl spaces.

YearFlood losses
20166
201714
20182
20198
20206
20212
20221
202322
20245
20253
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-20208.95 in
12 months to August 202611.78 in (+2.83)
202511.73 in (+2.78)
Wettest year since 18951941: 18.33 in
Driest year since 18951947: 3.51 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BAKERSFIELD AP (20 mi away)0.2

Homes

Housing units306,999
Median year built1984
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied60%
Median value, owner-occupied$338,300
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Tulare County, CA 60 mi 14% 1%
Ventura County, CA 73 mi 12% 4%
Kings County, CA 79 mi 32% 33%
Los Angeles County, CA 84 mi 4% under 1%
Santa Barbara County, CA 94 mi 12% 4%
San Luis Obispo County, CA 97 mi 17% 1%
Fresno County, CA 110 mi 14% 2%
Inyo County, CA 117 mi n/a n/a

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status