Taft, CA


3 Reviews



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Taft, CA

About Taft, CA

Living in Taft, CA is an amazing experience. The climate is warm and sunny throughout the year, creating a perfect environment for outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, and camping. The community is friendly and diverse, with plenty of great restaurants, shops, and parks to explore. The city also offers excellent schools and job opportunities. It's a great place to raise a family or just relax and enjoy life at a slower pace. There is something for everyone in Taft - whether you're looking for excitement or tranquility, there's something here for you. Mid-sized city - South-central California, at the southern end of the Central Valley.

State: California
County: Kern County
Metro Area: Bakersfield Metro Area
City: Taft
Zip Codes: 93268 93252
Cost of Living:
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Elevation: 492 ft above sea level

Bakersfield is a quiet agricultural and industrial town located in one of the driest inhabited areas of California. Irrigated agriculture, mostly cotton, orchard crops and grapes lies to the north, and a large oil industry supported by nearby fields operates in and around the city. There isn’t much to do. But the area is becoming a refuge for southern Californians looking to escape the high costs and bustle of the LA Basin, which starts about 80 miles and across a mountain range south. The area is also picking up businesses looking for an inexpensive location with southern California access; thus the economy is improving after years of malaise.

But those moving in will need to trust their air conditioners: summer heat can be relentless with temperatures frequently 105 degrees to 110 degrees. Air quality can be a problem in the deep valley. The downtown is plain and uninteresting, although there are some new buildings and a new riverfront park. The nicer neighborhoods lie west towards the Cal State Bakersfield campus and some new retail and housing development, is coming in especially west of town. Some recreation is available in the southern Sierra Nevada just to the east and north, and downtown Los Angeles is about 2 hours away.

Bakersfield is partially surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped rim of mountains with an open side to the northwest and the crest at an average distance of 40 miles. The valley and surrounding hills are dry grassland with some desert plants; oak-studded grassland becomes more prevalent in the foothills. Climate is Mediterranean semiarid with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Summers are cloudless with 100 degrees readings and very low humidity. Winters are mild but fairly humid with frequent fog that usually burns off but can last for weeks.

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Taft Cost of Living

Cost of living, low rainfall, and mild winters make Taft a great place to live.

$181,400
-86.4% lower than avg
$52,917
-30.4% lower than avg
7.5 / 7.6
Comfort Index
summer/winter
Taft Crime
53 / 100
Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low) to 100 (high). US average: 35.4
Minimum annual income
To live comfortably in Taft, California
$34,920
for a family
$28,400
for a single person
Pros & Cons of Taft
   Cost of living
Air quality
   Low rainfall
High unemployment
   Mild winters
Summer heat
Reviews for Taft
    See all (3)

J · Taft, CA
Over 5 years ago
I’ve lived here over 50 years. It use to be a wonderful place to grow up with a thriving downtown and jobs were plentiful. This is no longer the case in Taft. Jobs are  More
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I've lived in Taft for over 5 years. It's a nice community and very friendly people as long as you get involved, either through school or local churches. I've met many  More
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Over 16 years ago
the city of taft is located in southern California,a small community yet just 20 minutes from a large and thriving city "bakersfield" over 300000 people .amazingly you  More
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