Kings County comprises the Hanford-Corcoran, CA metropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, CA combined statistical area. It is in the San Joaquin Valley, a rich agricultural region.

History

The area was inhabited for thousands of years by Native Americans including the Tachi Yokuts tribe. They continue to live in the area on the Santa Rosa Rancheria. It was colonized by Spain, Mexico and the United States.

An 1805 expedition probably led by Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga recorded discovering the river, which they named El Rio de los Santos Reyes (River of the Holy Kings) after the Three Wise Men of the Bible. At the time of the United States conquest of California in 1848, the new government changed the name to Kings River after which the county was named.

In 1880, a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad resulted in a bloody gun battle on a farm 5.6 mi (9.0 km) northwest of Hanford; seven men died. This event became known as the Mussel Slough Tragedy.

Kings County was formed in 1893 from the western part of Tulare County. In 1909, by an act of the state legislature, 208 square miles (540 km²) of Fresno County territory was added to the northwest portion of Kings County.

Settlers reclaimed Tulare Lake and its wetlands for agricultural development. In surface area, it was formerly the largest body of freshwater west of the Great Lakes, and supported a large population of migratory birds as well as local birds and wildlife. Monoculture has sharply reduced habitat for many species.

In 1928, oil was discovered in the Kettleman Hills located in the southwestern part of Kings County. The Kettleman North Dome Oil Field became one of the most productive oil fields in the United States.

During the Great Depression, over 18,000 cotton pickers in the southern San Joaquin Valley, mostly migrant Mexican workers, went on strike in the California agricultural strikes of 1933. During the strike, 3,500 striking farm workers lived in a four-acre camp on the land of a small farmer on the outskirts of Corcoran. Ultimately, the federal government intervened to force both sides to negotiate a settlement.

Lemoore Army Airfield was established for training and defense during World War II. In 1961, the U.S. Navy opened NAS Lemoore 9 miles (14 km) west of Lemoore, not far from the earlier site.

The completion of the California Aqueduct in the early 1970s brought needed water for agriculture and domestic use to the west side of the county.

Historic sites

Kingston
Mussel Slough Tragedy
El Adobe de los Robles Rancho built by Daniel Rhoads
Vaca Adobe
Cox & Clark Trading Post and Steamboat Landing
Witt Site

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,392 square miles (3,610 km²), of which 1,389 square miles (3,600 km²) is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) (0.2%) is water.

Kings County is bordered on the north and northwest by Fresno County, on the east by Tulare County, on the south by Kern County and a small part of San Luis Obispo County and on the west by Monterey County.

Table Mountain is the highest point in Kings County at an elevation of 3,476 feet (1,059 m). It is located in the Diablo Range in southwestern Kings County on the boundary between Kings and Monterey counties.

Most of the historic Tulare Lake was within Kings County. Although reclaimed for farming late in the 19th century, it was the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	9,871	—
1910	16,230	64.4%
1920	22,031	35.7%
1930	25,385	15.2%
1940	35,168	38.5%
1950	46,768	33.0%
1960	49,954	6.8%
1970	64,610	29.3%
1980	73,738	14.1%
1990	101,469	37.6%
2000	129,461	27.6%
2010	152,982	18.2%
2020	152,486	−0.3%
2023 (est.)	152,682	−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**Kings County, California - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	53,879	44,361	35.22%	29.09%
Black or African American alone (NH)	10,314	8,300	6.74%	5.44%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,297	1,690	0.85%	1.11%
Asian alone (NH)	5,339	5,511	3.49%	3.61%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	228	331	0.15%	0.22%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	803	713	0.52%	0.47%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	3,256	4,973	2.13%	3.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	77,866	86,607	50.90%	56.80%
Total	152,982	152,486	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population	152,335
White	109,704	72.0%
Black or African American	10,988	7.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native	1,927	1.3%
Asian	5,751	3.8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	353	0.2%
Some other race	17,832	11.7%
Two or more races	5,780	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	76,401	50.2%
Per capita income	$18,296
Median household income	$48,838
Median family income	$51,932

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Armona	CDP	3,419	74.1%	11.9%	4.6%	8.9%	0.6%	58.6%
Avenal	City	15,705	73.1%	23.1%	0.3%	3.1%	0.4%	86.4%
Corcoran	City	25,113	59.8%	23.8%	2.0%	12.2%	2.3%	63.0%
Grangeville	CDP	464	95.7%	4.3%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	19.0%
Hanford	City	53,159	76.2%	11.9%	4.6%	6.7%	0.6%	44.3%
Hardwick	CDP	107	33.6%	64.5%	1.9%	0.0%	0.0%	64.5%
Home Garden	CDP	1,726	59.4%	18.3%	0.9%	16.7%	4.7%	59.1%
Kettleman City	CDP	1,207	80.9%	14.5%	0.0%	0.0%	4.6%	100.0%
Lemoore	City	24,217	68.2%	14.4%	6.5%	8.7%	2.3%	36.2%
Lemoore Station	CDP	7,129	69.2%	11.1%	9.9%	9.5%	0.3%	17.2%
Stratford	CDP	1,436	68.7%	30.6%	0.0%	0.7%	0.0%	91.9%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
Armona	CDP	3,419	$16,047	$42,122	$41,991
Avenal	City	15,705	$9,889	$29,183	$28,030
Corcoran	City	25,113	$8,308	$31,641	$33,904
Grangeville	CDP	464	$27,003	$46,979	$52,989
Hanford	City	53,159	$22,383	$54,421	$61,532
Hardwick	CDP	107	$11,256	$19,167	$19,306
Home Garden	CDP	1,726	$12,328	$38,125	$36,488
Kettleman City	CDP	1,207	$15,081	$34,323	$35,313
Lemoore	City	24,217	$23,045	$58,706	$63,539
Lemoore Station	CDP	7,129	$16,887	$42,225	$43,023
Stratford	CDP	1,436	$10,531	$40,871	$29,716

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census reported that Kings County had a population of 152,982. The census included inmates of the three men's state prisons. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, there were 18,640 inmates in Kings County prisons on March 31, 2010, which was 12.2% of the population. The inmate population had been reduced to 13,894 on December 31, 2013. The racial makeup of Kings County was 83,027 (54.3%) White, 11,014 (7.2%) African American, 2,562 (1.7%) Native American, 5,620 (3.7%) Asian, 271 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 42,996 (28.1%) from other races, and 7,492 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 77,866 persons (50.9%).

The U.S. Census does not identify how many residents are undocumented immigrants. However, the Public Policy Institute of California issued a report in July 2011, which estimated there were 9,000 illegal immigrants living in Kings County in 2008, which would be 5.8% of the county's population.

According to the California Board of State and Community Corrections, Kings County had the highest incarceration rate of California's 58 counties in 2014 at 1,384 per 100,000 population. Statewide, the rate was 567 per 100,000.

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Kings County	152,982	83,027	11,014	2,562	5,620	271	42,996	7,492	77,866
Incorporated city	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Avenal	15,505	6,044	1,625	186	108	6	7,188	348	11,130
Corcoran	24,813	8,940	3,725	349	193	17	10,979	610	15,545
Hanford	53,967	33,713	2,632	712	2,322	53	11,599	2,936	25,419
Lemoore	24,531	13,925	1,566	333	2,010	102	4,935	1,660	9,820
Census-designated place	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Armona	4,156	2,058	99	64	85	13	1,597	240	2,784
Grangeville	469	393	15	5	5	0	41	10	145
Hardwick	138	63	5	0	0	0	67	3	86
Home Garden	1,761	652	221	63	50	8	677	90	1,189
Kettleman City	1,439	478	4	8	1	0	887	61	1,383
Lemoore Station	7,438	4,883	729	70	560	53	418	725	1,445
Stratford	1,277	574	16	17	19	1	617	33	1,069
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	17,488	11,304	377	755	267	18	3,991	776	7,851

2000

As of the 2000 census, there were 129,461 people, 34,418 households, and 26,983 families residing in the county. However, the California Department of Finance estimates that the population had grown 154,434 as of January 1, 2008. The population density based on the 2000 census was 36/km² (93/sq mi). There were 36,563 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 53.7% White, 8.3% Black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 28.3% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. 43.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.1% were of Portuguese, 6.2% German, 5.3% Irish and 5.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 63.6% spoke English, 30.9% Spanish, 1.4% Tagalog, 1.4% Portuguese and 1.3% Samoan as their first language.

There were 34,418 households, out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 3.56.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years in 2000, which had increased to 31.1 by the time of the 2010 census. For every 100 females there were 134.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 148.8 males. The ratio may be attributed to the presence of three men's state prisons in the county.

Economy

The economy is based on agriculture. About 87% of Kings County's 890,000 acres is agricultural farmland. The gross value of all agricultural crops and products produced during 2018 in Kings County was $2,351,983,000. Kings County is 10th among California counties in agricultural production. The top commodity in 2018 was milk with a value of $676.7 million. Other major agricultural commodities included pistachios, cotton, cattle and calves, almonds and processing tomatoes. Another major employer is NAS Lemoore, the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet base. According to a Navy study in 2008, payroll, base spending, retiree and veterans' checks total more than $1 billion in annual economic impact to the region. Other important employers include a Del Monte Foods tomato processing plant, Adventist Health, the J. G. Boswell Company, an Olam International tomato processing facility, Leprino Foods, the largest mozzarella cheese maker in the world, the Kings County Government and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation which operates three state prisons in Kings County.

In 2011–2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in the county was $47,035 and that 17.6% of the population was below the poverty line. In 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, average per capita income was $35,306 in Kings County, which ranked it last of California's 58 counties. Per capita personal income is calculated by dividing the population by the total personal income of the area's residents. In Kings County's case, the U.S. Census Bureau's estimated population of 151,366 was used for that calculation. However, the population estimate includes incarcerated persons with little or no income.

The homeownership rate was 54.2% at the time of the 2010 census. According to Zillow Real Estate Research, an estimated 24% of homeowners in the county owned their homes free and clear in the third quarter of 2012.

Taxable sales in 2015 totaled about $1.7 billion.

Kings County did not escape the effects of the Great Recession. The unemployment rate in May 2012 was 14.9%, up from 10.1% in July 2008. However, the rate had dropped to 9.8% in February 2020 at the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate had risen to 16.8% in April of that year. According to the California Employment Development Department, as of December 2012, civilian employment totaled 53,100 and an additional 8,900 people were unemployed. Many residents of Kings County were employed in services (31,900 persons, including 14,800 government employees) and agriculture (5,500 employees) as well as in some manufacturing enterprises (4,300 employees) and construction (1,000 employees). Jeffrey Michael, director of the Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific, stated in an October 2010 newspaper interview that nearly half of Kings County's personal earnings come from government jobs, which pay more than agricultural employment.

Kings County's dairy industry dropped from $670 million in milk sold in 2008 to $411 million in 2009 - a 39% drop. By mid-2009, the price paid to milk producers had dropped to a point that was far below the cost of production according to a July 2009 quote from Bill Van Dam, CEO of the Alliance of Western Milk Producers. By December 2010, milk prices had increased to about $13 per hundredweight from a low of below $10 in 2009. However, the price of corn used for feed had increased because of its use by the ethanol industry. Van Dam was quoted that month as saying that at current prices, dairy operators are at or close to the break-even point. By the summer of 2012, it was reported that despite a milk price of about $15 per hundredweight, the rising cost of cattle feed had caused many dairy farmers to sell all or part of their herds and even file for bankruptcy. In 2014, milk prices were topping $22 per hundredweight and the value of milk sold rose to $970 million in that year. However, by March 2016 milk was reportedly selling closer to $13 per hundredweight.

Culture

Kings County has a large annual celebration held each May called Kings County Homecoming Week. In 2015, the event was scaled back to one day and renamed Pioneer Days. The event returned as Kings County Homecoming Week in 2016 but without the traditional parade.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 5
State Route 33
State Route 41
State Route 43
State Route 137
State Route 198
State Route 269

Public transportation

Kings Area Regional Transit (KART) operates regularly scheduled fixed route bus service, vanpool service for commuters and Paratransit (demand response) services throughout Kings County as well as to Fresno.

Amtrak trains stop in Corcoran and Hanford.

Orange Belt Stages provides inter-city bus service to and from Hanford. Connections with Greyhound can be made in Visalia or Paso Robles.

Airports

Hanford Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located just southeast of Hanford. The privately owned airport in Avenal is the home of the Central California Soaring Club.

Communities

Incorporated cities

Avenal
Corcoran
Hanford (county seat)
Lemoore

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Halls Corner
Hub
Hydril
Island District
Lakeside
Pitco
Reef Station
Shell

Formerly proposed new city

Quay Valley

Native American Reservation

Santa Rosa Rancheria

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Kings County.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Hanford	City	53,967
2	Corcoran	City	24,813
3	Lemoore	City	24,531
4	Avenal	City	15,505
5	Lemoore Station	CDP	7,438
6	Armona	CDP	4,156
7	Home Garden	CDP	1,761
8	Kettleman City	CDP	1,439
9	Stratford	CDP	1,277
10	Santa Rosa Rancheria	AIAN	652
11	Grangeville	CDP	469
12	Hardwick	CDP	138

Kings County, California facts for kids

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