Kings County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. The population was 152,486 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Hanford.
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.Hoover, p. 132 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 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, 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 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 , of which is land and (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 . It is located in the Diablo Range in southwestern Kings County on the boundary between Kings and Monterey counties. Tent Hills is a ridge in Kings County.
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
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 152,486. The median age was 32.9 years, with 26.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 10.6% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 118.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 124.0 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 40.2% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 2.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 31.5% from some other race, and 15.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 56.8% of the population.
89.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 10.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 44,100 households in the county, of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 46,287 housing units, of which 4.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.1% were owner-occupied and 45.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%.
Racial and ethnic composition +Kings County, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)47,21154,42653,81753,87944,36164.03%53.64%41.57%35.22%29.09%Black or African American alone (NH)3,5047,74710,41810,3148,3004.75%7.63%8.05%6.74%5.44%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)7259051,3041,2971,6900.98%0.89%1.01%0.85%1.11%Asian alone (NH)2,1893,4083,8845,3395,5112.97%3.36%3.00%3.49%3.61%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census1922283310.15%0.15%0.15%0.15%0.22%Other race alone (NH)2824322298037130.38%0.43%0.18%0.52%0.47%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3,1563,2564,973xx2.44%2.13%3.26%Hispanic or Latino (any race)19,82734,55156,46177,86686,60726.89%34.05%43.61%50.90%56.80%Total73,738101,469129,461152,982152,486 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
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.Hanford Sentinel, March 28–29, 2015
Population reported at 2010 United States censusThe County TotalPopulationWhiteAfricanAmerican NativeAmerican Asian PacificIslander otherraces two ormore races Hispanicor Latino(of any race) Kings County152,98283,02711,0142,5625,62027142,9967,49277,866Incorporatedcity TotalPopulationWhite AfricanAmerican NativeAmerican Asian PacificIslander otherraces two ormore races Hispanicor Latino(of any race)Avenal15,5056,0441,62518610867,18834811,130Corcoran24,8138,9403,7253491931710,97961015,545Hanford53,96733,7132,6327122,3225311,5992,93625,419Lemoore24,53113,9251,5663332,0101024,9351,6609,820Census-designatedplace TotalPopulationWhite AfricanAmerican NativeAmerican Asian PacificIslander otherraces two ormore races Hispanicor Latino(of any race)Armona4,1562,058996485131,5972402,784Grangeville469393155504110145Hardwick13863500067386Home Garden1,76165222163508677901,189Kettleman City1,4394784810887611,383Lemoore Station7,4384,88372970560534187251,445Stratford1,2775741617191617331,069Otherunincorporated areas TotalPopulationWhite AfricanAmerican NativeAmerican Asian PacificIslander otherraces two ormore races Hispanicor Latino(of any race)All others not CDPs (combined)17,48811,304377755267183,9917767,851
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.California Department of Finance, Table E-2, California County Population Estimates and Percent Change, Revised July 1, 2000, through Provisional July 1, 2006 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 . 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.
Government and policing Administration The government of Kings County operates as a general law county defined and authorized under the California Constitution and law. That is, it does not have a county charter. The county is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are elected by districts for four-year terms. There are no term limits in effect. The chairman and vice-chairman are elected annually by the Board of Supervisors from among its members. On January 7, 2020, the Board elected Supervisor Doug Verboon as chairman and Supervisor Craig Pederson as vice-chairman to serve during 2020. Other Supervisors include Richard Valle, Joe Neves and Richard Fagundes.https://www.countyofkings.com/home/showdocument?id=21427 accessed January 12, 2020 The Board of Supervisors appoints a County Administrative Officer. Rebecca Campbell was appointed to that office effective on January 1, 2018. She succeeded Larry Spikes who held the post from 1993 through 2017.Hanford Sentinel, December 23, 2017Hanford Sentinel, December 27, 2017
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