Kern County Crime & Safety

Kern County has a total crime rate of 4050.8 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (739.9 per 100K) and property crimes (3310.9 per 100K).

Kern County has a safety score of 3/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #56 out of 58 counties in California for safety (1 = safest).

This score trails the California state average of 96.3, indicating a higher frequency of incidents than most counties. Statistics are monitored by 22 different reporting agencies.

Property crime dominates the figures at 3,310.9 per 100,000, while violent crime remains high at 739.9. These numbers represent a substantial impact on the local community's daily life.

Crime data for Kern County comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Kern County has a safety score of 3/100, which is below the California average of 20/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.