The Town FilesTaft, California
City in Kern County · population 8,546 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $252,600
- Household income
- $72,772
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 99°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 37.1
Taft is a city of 8,546 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $252,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 74% of California towns.
How Taft ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Taft is worth $252,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $72,772, which is more affordable than 95% of California towns. Median rent is $1,069 a month. 55.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Taft | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $252,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,069 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $72,772 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.0% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Taft
| People | Taft | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.2% | — |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 18.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Taft
July highs average 98.7°F and January lows 40.5°F. About 6.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 113 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 7 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Taft since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on March 17, 1991 about 3.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 17, 1991.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on June 10, 2015.
Severe weather in Kern County since 1996
Kern County has been included in 40 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2024 | Fire | FM-5522: Borel Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| August 25, 2021 | Fire | FM-5416: French Fire |
Jobs and pay in Kern County
Kern County had 347,664 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,066 a year. Unemployment was 8.3% in 2023; in Taft itself the ACS puts it at 6.1%.
Public schools in Taft
8 public schools with 3,521 students, about 21.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taft Union High | 9-12 | 1,045 | 18.7 |
| Lincoln Junior High | 6-8 | 752 | 19.3 |
| Roosevelt Elementary | 2-5 | 523 | 26.2 |
| Parkview Elementary | K-3 | 317 | 21.1 |
| Conley Elementary | K-3 | 298 | 24.8 |
| Jefferson Elementary | K-3 | 255 | 25.5 |
| Taft Primary | K-3 | 238 | 23.8 |
| Buena Vista High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 93 | 18.6 |
Towns near Taft
- Ford City, CA3.3 mi · 4,348 people · home $207,800
- Rosedale, CA21.9 mi · 18,639 people · home $608,900
- Greenacres, CA24.7 mi · 5,496 people · home $351,800
- Greenfield, CA25.4 mi · 3,447 people · home $247,400
- Old Stine, CA26.2 mi · 3,841 people · home $235,400
- Bakersfield, CA26.8 mi · 403,455 people · home $371,700
- Benton Park, CA26.9 mi · 5,333 people · home $240,600
- Rexland Acres, CA27.1 mi · 3,563 people · home $200,200
Taft questions
Is Taft, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Taft scores better for retirees than 19% of California towns and quieter than 23%. 14.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.1).
How much does a house cost in Taft?
The median owner-occupied home in Taft is valued at $252,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,772, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,069 a month.
What is the weather like in Taft?
July highs average 98.7°F and January lows 40.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 6.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Taft get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Taft since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on March 17, 1991. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)