Health · Taft Heights

Taft Heights, CA health

Taft Heights differs from California on 20 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (23% vs 10.6%) and more adults facing a utility shut-off (13.1% vs 7.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Taft Heights
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Taft Heights’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Taft Heights is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns.

DSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressD-Mental distressC+ObesityB-DiabetesDSmokingC-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 14%
Less healthyHealthier
California towns we grade (1,056)Healthier than 10%
Towns with similar incomes, $41K–$68K (6,548)Healthier than 27%

About what its income would suggest. Taft Heights does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Taft Heights could be anywhere from D− to C+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in California ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Taft Heights with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Taft Heights uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Taft Heights compares with California

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Taft Heights adults…

32 of every 100 Taft Heights adults have high blood pressure
California: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 28.5–35.1%

Bars show Taft Heights; the black tick is California. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Taft Heights, betterTaft Heights, worseToo close to callCalifornia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 32.2% Taft Heights
CA 24.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.8% Taft Heights
CA 35.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.2% Taft Heights
CA 15.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 19.1% Taft Heights
CA 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Taft Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.

69%
Yearly checkup
CA 72%
46%
Dentist visit
CA 63%
78%
Cholesterol check
CA 85%
53%
Colon screening
CA 58%
69%
Mammogram
CA 76%
66%
Taking BP meds
CA 71%
1 in 6
working-age adults has no health insurance
Taft Heights 15.7% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)
Mind & connection

How Taft Heights adults are doing

1 in 3Taft Heights adults feel lonely
38.5% · California 37.3% · too close to call
1 in 4Taft Heights adults have been diagnosed with depression
28% · California 20.1% · worse
1 in 3Taft Heights adults lack social or emotional support
29.5% · California 28.6% · too close to call
1 in 4Taft Heights adults are in frequent mental distress
24% · California 16.4% · worse
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 3
Taft Heights adults worry about having enough food
28.8% · CA 17.9% · worse
1 in 4
Taft Heights adults worry about keeping their housing
22.4% · CA 14.9% · worse
1 in 8
Taft Heights adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.1% · CA 7.3% · worse
1 in 6
Taft Heights adults lack reliable transportation
15.5% · CA 9.3% · worse

31% of Taft Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Disability

Living with a disability

40.9%

of Taft Heights adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.6%
Thinking or memory23%
Hearing7%
Errands alone13.2%
Vision8.5%
Dressing or bathing6%

Black tick: California. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Getting care

Care in and near Taft Heights

No hospital or community health center in Taft Heights itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMercy HospitalBakersfield · 30 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBakersfield Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 31.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOmni Family HealthTaft · 1.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.5 mi
Omni Family Health
5 sites · nearest in Taft
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.7 mi
Community Health Centers - New Cuyama
New Cuyama · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
30 mi
Mercy Hospital
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
30.8 mi
Adventist Health Bakersfield
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
31.1 mi
Good Samaritan Hospital, Lp
Bakersfield · not rated
31.6 mi
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
Bakersfield · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careTaft Heights is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careTaft Heights is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthTaft Heights is not a shortage area

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Taft Heights. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Taft Heights
MeasureTaft HeightsMarginCalifornia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure31.9%28.5–35.1%30.5%about the same
High cholesterol32.3%28.9–35.7%35.4%about the same
Obesity37.4%31.8–43.3%27.8%worse
Arthritis22.8%20.3–25.3%20.8%about the same
Depression28%24.5–31.8%20.1%worse
Lost all teeth (65+)23%19.3–27.4%10.6%worse
Asthma12%10.5–13.4%9.3%worse
Cancer (not skin)5.9%5.3–6.6%6.4%about the same
Diabetes12.4%10.7–14.1%11.7%about the same
COPD8.7%7.4–10%5.1%worse
Heart disease6.6%5.8–7.5%5.6%worse
Stroke3.8%3.4–4.2%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes19.1%16.1–22.5%10.9%worse
Binge drink18.2%15.2–21.4%15.3%about the same
Get no exercise32.2%27.7–37.2%24.6%worse
Sleep under 7 hours39.8%34.7–45.2%35.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup68.9%64.8–72.7%71.9%about the same
Dentist visit45.9%42.4–49.5%62.8%worse
Cholesterol check77.8%74.9–80.7%85.4%worse
Colon screening52.9%48–57.8%57.5%about the same
Mammogram69.4%61.3–76.8%75.7%about the same
Taking BP meds65.9%62.6–69%71.3%worse
No health insurance15.7%12.6–19.3%10.6%worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely38.5%33.8–43.3%37.3%about the same
Lack emotional support29.5%25.6–33.6%28.6%about the same
Frequent mental distress24%21.4–26.8%16.4%worse
Fair or poor health30.1%26.1–34.3%22.1%worse
Frequent physical distress17.9%15.7–20.3%13.4%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity28.8%24.3–33.5%17.9%worse
Housing insecurity22.4%19.2–25.8%14.9%worse
Utility shut-off threat13.1%11.3–15.1%7.3%worse
No reliable transportation15.5%13.4–17.8%9.3%worse
Receive SNAP31%26.4–35.8%15.6%
Disability
Any disability40.9%36.1–46%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs18.6%16.1–21.3%13.8%
Thinking or memory23%20–26.2%14.6%
Hearing7%6.1–7.9%5.9%
Vision8.5%7.4–9.6%5.6%
Dressing or bathing6%5.2–6.8%3.9%
Errands alone13.2%11.4–15.1%8.1%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Taft Heights door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the California figure falls inside it, we don't call Taft Heights better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Taft Heights directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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