Tehachapi, CA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

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.

Official town website ↗

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

How Tehachapi ranks

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#53Rent easiest to afford in CA #134Cheapest rent in CA #150Most affordable in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code93561, 93581

Area code661

Living in Tehachapi

Housing in Tehachapi

$424K▲ 0.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

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

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market11

Sale-to-list100.2%

Sold in May7

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Tehachapi

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

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

Violent crime per 1,000

Tehachapi 3.9

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Tehachapi 16.5

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Tehachapi

Compared with California

13worse than CA

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 19 are too close to call.

Conditions 3▼ 9 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 4▼ 3 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 3▼ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

15.2%More smokersCA 10.9% · worse 9.9%More adults facing a utility shut-offCA 7.3% · worse 14.2%More uninsured adultsCA 10.6% · worse

Care nearby

Adventist Health Tehachapi ValleyTehachapi · 3.2 mi · ER · rural critical access

Omni Family HealthTehachapi · 0.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · part of Tehachapi

DentalShortage · part of Tehachapi

Mental healthShortage · part of Tehachapi

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Tehachapi · CMS · HRSAHealth in Tehachapi →

Schools in Tehachapi

All Tehachapi schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

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.

#252Best public schoolsof 574 in CA

DistrictTehachapi UnifiedSchools6

Tompkins Elementary B-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 615 students Tehachapi Independent Learning AcademyElementary · Grades K–8 · 108 students Jacobsen Middle B-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 925 students Tehachapi High B+High · Grades 9–12 · 1,260 students EPIC de Cesar ChavezHigh · Grades 9–12 · 614 students Monroe High (Continuation)High · Grades 9–12 · 25 students

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.