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Bookkeeping across Kern County

Kern County figures describe a much larger economy than the towns within the service radius. Energy production, agricultural activity and distribution create different cost structures. Tidwell works remotely, with meetings at our Atascadero office by arrangement, and can organize records around the actual operating activity of each business.

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General information, not legal advice.

Kern business totals and formation activity

County figures: 14,352 employer establishments, including 13,611 with 1-49 employees, and 56,878 solo businesses (nonemployers), from the 2023 Census business datasets. In 2025 the county recorded 8,751 new business applications, +88% versus 2019. Applications are not a count of businesses that opened.

The research radius analysis places 80.0% of Kern County's population within 100 miles of Atascadero. Coverage is measured using census-tract centroids, not driving distance. These business totals cover the entire county; they are not counts restricted to the radius.

Sources: Census County Business Patterns 2023: Kern County; Census Nonemployer Statistics 2023: Kern County; Census Business Formation Statistics: county applications; Census ACS 2024 population: tract-based radius analysis; Census Gazetteer 2025: radius geography

Construction crews, farms and restaurant operators

Across Kern County, the county-level segment counts are 1,287 construction employer establishments and 4,312 construction nonemployers; 1,459 restaurants/food-service establishments; 6 employer wineries; and 1,691 farms (USDA 2022). These categories use different datasets and should not be added together as one business total.

The wider-radius estimate for specialty trades is ~3,450 employer establishments and ~7,430 nonemployers, weighted by county population coverage rather than measured business locations.

Sources: Census County Business Patterns 2023: Kern County; Census Nonemployer Statistics 2023: Kern County; USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture: Kern County

Water-system projects in the northern county

  • Wasco: Water System Improvement and Treatment Project: four replacement wells, 1,2,3-TCP carbon treatment at Well 12, two 1.0 MG steel tanks with booster stations, AMI metering. Source status (2025): Notice of Determination posted 3/24/2025. Agency: City of Wasco (State Water Resources Control Board funded).
  • Delano: 2024 CDBG 12th Avenue and Oxford Street watermain improvement projects. Amount recorded: Estimated $175k-$200k each (bid listing). Source status (2024): Bid October 31, 2024. Agency: City of Delano.

Sources: Wasco: water-system projects in the northern county; Delano: water-system projects in the northern county

Bakersfield parks and school construction context

  • Bakersfield: Measure N-funded replacement of play equipment at 12 city parks. Amount recorded: $4 million. Source status (None): groundbreaking reported. Agency: City of Bakersfield.
  • Shafter: Kern High School District (Shafter High School): Measure E (2022) passed. Bond amount: $160,000,000.

Sources: Bakersfield: bakersfield parks and school construction context; Shafter: bakersfield parks and school construction context

Explore the Kern town pages

Choose a town for the local project context, population, distance and service details.

Also serving Taft and unincorporated Kern

Also serving Taft, Oildale, Rosedale, Greenacres, East Niles and other unincorporated Kern County areas.

Sources for production and infrastructure figures

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