Sales tax in Unincorporated Kern County, CA
The combined sales tax rate in Unincorporated Kern County, CA is about 8.25%, and ranges from 7.25% to 11.25% depending on the exact address.
Estimated from 51 ZIP codes covering Unincorporated Kern County. Enter your ZIP code in the calculator for a closer figure.
- ZIP codes
- 51 on file · 28 wholly inside the city limits
ZIP codes in Unincorporated Kern County
51 on file — 28 wholly inside the city limits and 23 crossing them. Each has its own page.
28 ZIP codes wholly inside Unincorporated Kern County
Every address in these is inside the city limits, so all of them pay Unincorporated Kern County's rate.
| ZIP code | Combined rate | Also reaches |
|---|---|---|
| 93205 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93206 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93220 | ~8.25% | no other city |
| 93222 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93224 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93225 | 7.75% | Unincorporated Ventura County |
| 93226 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93238 | 7.75% | Unincorporated Tulare County |
| 93240 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93241 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93243 | 8.25% | Unincorporated Los Angeles County |
| 93249 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93251 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93255 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93276 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93283 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93285 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93287 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93461 | ~8.25% (7.25%–8.25%) | Unincorporated San Luis Obispo County |
| 93516 | 8.25% | Unincorporated San Bernardino County |
| 93518 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93519 | ~8.25% | no other city |
| 93523 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93524 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93527 | 7.75% | Unincorporated Inyo County and Unincorporated Tulare County |
| 93528 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93531 | 8.25% | no other city |
| 93560 | 8.25% | Unincorporated Los Angeles County |
23 ZIP codes crossing the city line
Part of each of these lies outside Unincorporated Kern County. An address in one may be taxed at a neighbour's rate instead, and the figure shown is the most likely one across the whole ZIP code.
| ZIP code | Combined rate | Also reaches |
|---|---|---|
| 93203 | 8.25% | Arvin and Bakersfield |
| 93215 | 8.25% | Delano and Unincorporated Tulare County |
| 93250 | 9.25% | Delano and Mcfarland |
| 93252 | 8.25% | Maricopa, Unincorporated San Luis Obispo County, Unincorporated Santa Barbara County and Unincorporated Ventura County |
| 93263 | 7.25% | Shafter |
| 93268 | 8.25% | Taft |
| 93280 | 8.25% | Wasco |
| 93304 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93305 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93306 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93307 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93308 | 8.25% | Bakersfield and Shafter |
| 93309 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93311 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93312 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93313 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93314 | 8.25% | Bakersfield |
| 93501 | 8.25% | California City |
| 93505 | 8.25% | California City |
| 93536 | 11.25% | Lancaster and Unincorporated Los Angeles County |
| 93554 | 8.25% | California City |
| 93555 | 9.25% | Ridgecrest and Unincorporated San Bernardino County |
| 93561 | 8.25% | Tehachapi |
Who levies sales tax across Unincorporated Kern County's ZIP codes
Each government below levies its own share, but not all of them reach every address: the ZIP codes covering Unincorporated Kern County reach into more than one city, and an address pays only the shares whose boundary it falls inside.
| Jurisdiction | Type | Rate | Applies to | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | state | 7.25% | all 51 ZIP codes | Jan 1, 2017 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Kern County | city | 1% | all 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Bakersfield | city | 1% | 11 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| California City | city | 1% | 3 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Los Angeles County | city | 2.5% | 3 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Tulare County | city | 0.5% | 3 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Delano | city | 1% | 2 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Shafter | city | 0% | 2 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated San Bernardino County | city | 0.5% | 2 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated San Luis Obispo County | city | 0% | 2 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Ventura County | city | 0% | 2 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Arvin | city | 1% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Lancaster | city | 4% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Maricopa | city | 1% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Mcfarland | city | 2% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Ridgecrest | city | 2% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Taft | city | 1% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Tehachapi | city | 1% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Inyo County | city | 0.5% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Unincorporated Santa Barbara County | city | 0.5% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
| Wasco | city | 1% | 1 of 51 ZIP codes | Jul 1, 2026 | California sales and use tax rates by jurisdiction |
No total is shown because more than one city is listed. An address falls inside only one of each, so these shares are alternatives rather than a stack, and adding them all up would give a figure nobody pays.
What can change the tax you pay in Unincorporated Kern County, CA
- ZIP codes shared with a neighbour. 30 of Unincorporated Kern County's 51 ZIP codes are also reached by Bakersfield, California City, Unincorporated Los Angeles County and Unincorporated Tulare County and 15 other places, so an address in one of them can owe a neighbour's rate instead of Unincorporated Kern County's.
- What you are buying. Categories are not taxed alike. The calculator switches between general merchandise, prepared food and lodging, which are the categories we hold rates for here.
How Unincorporated Kern County compares with the rest of California
Unincorporated Kern County's ~8.25% is below what most ZIP codes carry in California. Of the state's 2,584 ZIP codes with a figure, 189 land on the same one, 896 carry a lower figure and 1,499 a higher one. Across California the combined rate runs from 7.25% to 11.25%. See every city in California.
| Combined rate | ZIP codes | Which is this city |
|---|---|---|
| ~7.75% | 535 | |
| ~8.75% | 373 | |
| ~9.75% | 346 | |
| ~7.25% | 282 | |
| ~8.25% | 189 | Unincorporated Kern County |
Counted from ZIP-code figures. A tilde marks a band where some ZIP codes cross a tax boundary and are counted at their most likely rate.
How sales tax is collected
The seller generally collects the tax from the buyer at the point of sale and passes it to the authorities that levied it. In most states it is added at the till rather than included in the advertised price. Read how sales tax works, including sourcing rules, online purchases and who is required to collect.
Rates last verified: Sep 4, 2026. This is when the source was last read, not when this page was last edited.
TaxAndTips provides informational estimates from published tax-rate data. Actual tax treatment can depend on the product or service, the exact address, the transaction, exemption status and applicable law. For official obligations, consult the taxing authority or a qualified tax professional.
Why you can rely on these figures
- Published rates
- State and local rates compiled from the tax authorities that levy them.
- Every figure sourced
- See the jurisdiction breakdown and the document each rate came from.
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- Missing means missing
- Where a rate is not verified we say so instead of showing a short total.