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Aerial-TehachapiWindFarm

TehachapiCA

A town of 11,946, settled in 1876. A typical home worth about $424K.

2 bordering townsMap →
Population
11,946
−10.2% since 2010
Typical home
$424K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
39.1
years
Jobs based here
4,757
Balanced

What makes Tehachapi stand out

The 3 things Tehachapi does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A shrinking town

Tehachapi has shrunk 10.2% since 2010

14,414 people in 2010; 11,946 today.

14,4142010
12,9392020
11,946Today

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS

Tehachapi’s report card

See the data ↓

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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Tehachapi. Another town gets a different order.

Housing

A typical Tehachapi home is worth about $424K

The typical Tehachapi home is worth about $424,000, up 0.7% in a year, 44% below the California typical home.

$424KZillow home value

Typical home value

Tehachapi$424K
California$764K
Market temperature
BalancedA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
11
days on market
100.2%
sale-to-list price
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
7
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors

1.8% of Tehachapi is conserved land

15 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.

#252for trails in CA
Map of Tehachapi: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
1.8%
conserved · 118 of 6,615 acres
15 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. West Park—14
2. Philip Marx Central Park—4
3. Aviator Park and Campground—1
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools

Tehachapi’s public schools outperform 48% of California districts

The public schools Tehachapi’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 52% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

B−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Tompkins ElementaryK–5615B−
Tehachapi Independent Learning AcademyK–8108Not graded
Jacobsen Middle6–8925B−
Tehachapi High9–121,260B+
EPIC de Cesar Chavez9–12614Not graded
Monroe High (Continuation)9–1225Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Work & commute

About one in five working residents works right in Tehachapi

About one in 5 of Tehachapi’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Bakersfield (9%), Los Angeles (6%) and Golden Hills (4%). Half commute less than 38 miles.

22%work in town

Where working residents work

In Tehachapi22%
Bakersfield9%
Los Angeles6%
Golden Hills4%
Mojave4%
38 mi
median commute distance
4,757
jobs based in Tehachapi
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards

Very high risk, with wildfire at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities.

90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
90Very high riskLowerHigher
WildfireInland floodingEarthquakes
1
paid flood claims since 1983
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 17% of U.S. towns

Tehachapi reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 83% report less.

C−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Tehachapi3.9
California4.3
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Tehachapi16.5
California18.2
U.S.15.5
17th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
23rd
percentile among CA towns
42
violent crimes reported in 2025
176
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health

Healthier than 37% of U.S. towns

Tehachapi beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13.

C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. California
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
What stands outTehachapiCA
More smokers15.2%10.9%
More adults facing a utility shut-off9.9%7.3%
More uninsured adults14.2%10.6%
Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley
3.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
29th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Tehachapi has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°.

89°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter33–53°
Spring42–65°
Summer61–87°
Fall47–72°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
A Very Interesting Santa Fe Light Engine Set -- 2 Photos
1980 · A Very Interesting Santa Fe Light Engine Set -- 2 Photos · Wikimedia Commons
Tehachapi’s story

150 years in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 2 places on the National Register.

A Very Interesting Santa Fe Light Engine Set -- 2 PhotosBabcock's barber sign, Green StreetTehachapi station building, January 2008
Explore the history →

Landmarks

2 places in Tehachapi on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Tehachapi

4 notable people were born in Tehachapi.

See all 4 →

About Tehachapi

City in California, United States

Official town website ↗

Tehachapi ( ; Kawaiisu: Tihachipia, meaning "hard climb") is a city in Kern County, California, United States, in the Tehachapi Mountains, at an elevation of 3,970 feet (1,210 m), between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. Tehachapi is 35 miles (56 km) east-southeast of Bakersfield, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Mojave. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10 square miles (26 km2). As of the 2020 census, Tehachapi had a population of 12,939. The Tehachapi area is known for the nearby Tehachapi Loop (a popular railfan site), the Pacific Crest Trail and for the favorable weather conditions for the aerial sport of gliding.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1876
Population
12,939
Area
10 sq mi
Elevation
3,970 ft
ZIP code
93561, 93581
Area code
661

Tehachapi’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Tehachapi.

Explore the map →

More about Tehachapi

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Photo of Tehachapi

Tehachapi, CA · Photo: John Wiley User:Jw4nvc - Santa Barbara, California · CC BY 3.0 · Source ↗