Taft
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Outdoors in Taft
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About Taft
City in California, United StatesTaft (formerly Moron, Moro, and Siding Number Two) is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located 32 miles (51 km) west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet (291 m). The population was 8,546 at the 2020 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3 square miles (39.6 km2). It was named for President William Howard Taft in 1909.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
How Taft ranks
All →Town numbers
Housing in Taft
The typical Taft home is worth about $207,000, down 2.2% in a year, 73% below the California typical home.
Only 4 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.
Safety in Taft
Safety Grade D
Taft reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less.
Health in Taft
Health Grade C
Healthier than 33% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.
Compared with California
of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 16 are too close to call.
What stands out
Care nearby
Schools in Taft
All Taft schools →School Grade C+
The public schools Taft’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 64% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.
Where Taft is
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