The Town FilesTehachapi, California
City in Kern County · population 12,939 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $355,500
- Household income
- $72,957
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 39.1
Tehachapi is a city of 12,939 people in Kern County, California. The median home is worth $355,500, below the typical California town ($596,900).
How Tehachapi 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 Tehachapi is worth $355,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.9 times the median household income of $72,957, which is more affordable than 78% of California towns. Median rent is $1,295 a month. 58.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Tehachapi | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $355,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,295 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $72,957 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.9× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 58.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.3% | — |
Who lives in Tehachapi
| People | Tehachapi | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 13.4% | — |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Tehachapi
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 32.0°F. About 12.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.7 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 28 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 82 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Tehachapi since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 5, 2023.
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 Tehachapi itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Public schools in Tehachapi
8 public schools with 4,804 students, about 23.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehachapi High | 9-12 | 1,262 | 23.8 |
| Jacobsen Middle | 6-8 | 936 | 23.4 |
| Golden Hills Elementary | K-5 | 677 | 24.2 |
| Tompkins Elementary | K-5 | 658 | 25.3 |
| EPIC de Cesar Chavez (charter) | 9-12 | 585 | 23.4 |
| Cummings Valley Elementary | K-5 | 545 | 22.7 |
| Tehachapi Independent Learning Academy | K-8 | 103 | 20.6 |
| Monroe High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 38 | — |
Towns near Tehachapi
- Golden Hills, CA2.9 mi · 9,578 people · home $410,300
- Stallion Springs, CA12.5 mi · 3,139 people · home $432,500
- Bear Valley Springs, CA12.9 mi · 5,592 people · home $496,200
- Mojave, CA17.0 mi · 4,699 people · home $213,600
- Arvin, CA22.0 mi · 19,495 people · home $262,700
- Rosamond, CA23.2 mi · 20,961 people · home $352,600
- Lamont, CA27.8 mi · 14,049 people · home $220,700
Tehachapi questions
Is Tehachapi, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Tehachapi scores better for retirees than 20% of California towns and quieter than 49%. 13.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.1).
How much does a house cost in Tehachapi?
The median owner-occupied home in Tehachapi is valued at $355,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,957, so homes cost about 4.9 times income. Median rent is $1,295 a month.
What is the weather like in Tehachapi?
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 32.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.7 inches of snow.
Does Tehachapi get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Tehachapi in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)