Home Insurance in Kern County, California
Homes in Kern County carry a median value of $338,300 - 54% lower than the California median.
Because older housing stock often has aging wiring, roofing or plumbing, it can cost more to insure or rebuild. The typical home in Kern County was built around 1984. About 18% of homes were built before 1960, about 9 points below California's 27%.
Mobile and manufactured homes typically need a manufactured-home (HO-7) policy rather than a standard homeowners policy. The housing stock in Kern County is 75% single-family homes, 9% apartments in buildings with 5+ units and 7% mobile or manufactured homes.
66% of owner-occupied homes in Kern County carry a mortgage, and mortgage lenders require hazard insurance for as long as the loan is active.
The vacancy rate is 7%; vacant or unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form than an owner-occupied policy. About 60% of occupied homes in Kern County are owner-occupied.
In Kern County, 59% of homes are primarily heated with natural gas.
FEMA's National Risk Index lists wildfire (Relatively High), earthquake (Relatively High) and inland flooding (Relatively High) as the leading hazards for Kern County. Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake, so separate coverage is usually needed.
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so flood coverage needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. As of September 2026, Kern County has 3,205 active NFIP flood policies on file.
The statewide average premium for a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in California is $1,655 per year, according to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data).
Key figures
| Median home value | $338,300 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Owner-occupied share | 60% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 66% |
| Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) | Wildfire (Relatively High), Earthquake (Relatively High), Inland Flooding (Relatively High) |
| Active NFIP flood policies (county) | 3,205 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,655 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Towns and cities
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)