Lamont, California

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Lamont is a census-designated place in Kern County, California. It sits about 9 miles south-southeast of downtown Bakersfield, at an elevation of 404 feet. The area covers roughly 4.8 square miles, with almost all of it being land.

As of the 2020 census, Lamont had 14,049 residents, down from 15,120 in 2010. The population density was about 2,937 people per square mile. The community is mostly Hispanic; about 95.7% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. The racial mix includes White, Native American and other races, with many people reporting two or more races.

There were 3,519 households in 2020, with an average size of 3.99 people. More than half of households (56.5%) had children under 18, and about 83.5% were families. The median age was 28.1 years, with 34.2% under 18.

Housing included 3,719 units, with 42% owner-occupied and 58% rented.

Economy and language: In 2023, about 41.7% of residents were foreign-born. Spanish is the dominant home language, spoken at home by about 81.8% of people. The median household income was $34,436 and the per capita income was $14,691; around one-third of families and people lived in poverty.

Education and services: Lamont is served by the Lamont School District (Lamont Elementary, Alicante Avenue School, Myrtle Avenue School, Mountain View Middle School) and the Kern High School District (Nueva High School). Law enforcement comes from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, fire protection from Kern County Fire Department Station 51, and emergency medical services from Hall Ambulance.

Community: The Lamont Reporter is the local weekly newspaper. Each December, the Lamont Chamber of Commerce hosts a Main Street parade to start the holiday season.

History: Lamont was founded in 1923. During the 1930s–1950s, many farm workers moved to Lamont seeking relief from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The first post office opened in 1947. The local library began in 1912 in a Weedpatch home and moved several times before the current building opened in 1998 to meet growing needs. Lamont appeared as an unincorporated place in the 1950 census and as a census-designated place in 1980.