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Growth

Economy & Growth

Kern's Economy Keeps Growing — Beyond Just Oil and Ag

Kern County's economy is diversifying fast. Alongside its traditional agriculture and energy strength, transportation and logistics, professional services, and health care are now among the fastest-growing sectors — and the region has attracted roughly $69 billion in private investment as it becomes California's largest producer of renewable energy. For anyone weighing a move, it points to a city with real jobs, momentum, and staying power.

Source: The Bakersfield Californian · bakersfield.com

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Stories From Around Town

Development

East Hills Mall Is Becoming ‘City Lights’ Outdoor Mall

The long-vacant East Hills Mall site is being transformed into City Lights — a new open-air center with retail shops, restaurants, and a grocery store. City Council has approved the project's final map, with the first phase set to open in late 2026, a major win for East Bakersfield.

July 2026 Read more →

Downtown

$7.5M Makeover Underway on Downtown's 18th & 19th

Bakersfield has kicked off a $7.5 million corridor improvement project along 18th and 19th streets — new streetscape, lighting, and walkability upgrades due for completion by late October 2026. It's part of the Making Downtown Bakersfield Vision Plan to attract new business and residents.

August 2026 Read more →

Downtown

Historic 19th Street Building Reborn as Deli & Climbing Gym

A 135-year-old downtown building — one of the city's oldest — is being restored into a deli and market, a small restaurant, and an 8,000-square-foot rock-climbing gym, bringing fresh life and foot traffic to 19th Street in 2026.

2026 Read more →

Jobs

Wage Gains and New Industries Lift Kern's Job Market

At the Kern County Economic Summit, leaders pointed to rising wages and growth in aerospace, ag-tech, logistics, and health care — broadening a job market long tied to oil and agriculture, and creating fresh opportunity across the county.

June 2026 Read more →

Clean Energy

Kern Leads California's Clean-Energy Boom

Now California's largest renewable-energy producer, Kern County keeps drawing billions in clean-energy investment — from vast solar and wind projects to a new $180 million solar-to-hydrogen facility — fueling construction jobs and long-term tax revenue for local schools and services.

July 2026 Read more →

Entertainment

Hard Rock Casino Tejon Draws Crowds to Kern

Just south of Bakersfield, the $600 million Hard Rock Casino Tejon has become one of the Central Valley's biggest entertainment draws — bringing dining, live music, and thousands of visitors and jobs to the region, with a hotel-and-resort phase still to come.