Is Taft, CA a Good Place to Live?
Taft is a small town of 7,414 in California, with a median household income of $52,414 and a 4.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 102 (US average = 100), which is 2% above the national average.
Strengths: Taft stands out for below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Taft is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Taft city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 102.2Taft's overall cost of living index is 102.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Taft costs roughly 2% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Taft, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $219,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $982 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 49.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $52,414 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageTaft's violent crime rate is 470.5 per 100,000 residents — 24% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Taft is served primarily by Taft City. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Taft, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Taft City | — |
| Elementary Schools | 5 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 21.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 82.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Taft sees average highs of 59.1°F in January and 98.7°F in July, with 6.0 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Taft, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 59.1°F |
| Average High — July | 98.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 6.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Taft, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,414 | — |
| Median Age | 32.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Taft
Taft, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: