Keene, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 469, Keene's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Keene is a small community located in California, within Kern County. The total population is 469. It ranks as the 1232nd most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Keene is 59.3 years. This is 56% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 8.5% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 11.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Keene. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 2.4%. This is 64% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $520,800. Housing costs are 29% lower than the state median of $734,700. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Keene has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (86.4% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (10.2%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (2.4%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

36.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is about the same as the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 98.1%. Notably, 18.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Keene, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.