A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Tehachapi$2,530/mo

Typical home $424K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $1,295/mo · Housing →

Colusa$2,140/mo

Typical home $372K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,132/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Tehachapi and Colusa.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Colusa places higher on 13 of 22 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−TehachapiSafer than 17% of U.S. towns C+ColusaSafer than 35% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−TehachapiBetter than 48% of districts in the state B−ColusaBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

C+TehachapiHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns CColusaHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns

9Tehachapi

13Colusa

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #790#275 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #574#180 SafestSafety · 411 towns #316#173 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #362#77 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#568 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #235#111 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #620#733 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #653#537

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Tehachapi’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

TehachapiColusa

Snow a year—0″

January low—38°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—293d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th 56th

Outdoors & history

TehachapiColusa

Trails15 mi 7 mi

Conserved land1.8%13.5%

Settled1876 1850

National Register places2 3

Archive photos18 6

Famous people born here4 8

Community

TehachapiColusa

Library hours a week32 hrs 40 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

342 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TehachapiCA ColusaCA

Tehachapi ↔ Colusa342 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

TehachapiColusa

People

Population 11,946Highest 6,505Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.2%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.4%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 39.1±2.7Highest 3% above CA 38.1±3.7Lowest about the CA average

Tehachapi and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.8%±3.6Lowest CA: 22% 30.2%±4.7Highest CA: 22%

Age 65+ 13.4%±2.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 17.4%±3.3Highest CA: 15.7%

Colusa and Tehachapi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 15.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±1.5Highest CA: 7.6% 3.6%±1.6Lowest CA: 7.6%

Tehachapi and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,957±$13kHighest 26% below CA $71,250±$11kLowest 28% below CA

Tehachapi and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $355,500±$13kLowest 52% below CA $375,000±$29kHighest 49% below CA

Colusa and Tehachapi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,295±$129Highest 36% below CA $1,132±$74Lowest 44% below CA

Tehachapi and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,074Highest 40% below CA $2,210Lowest 57% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.8%±9.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 68.4%±14.9Highest CA: 55.3%

Colusa and Tehachapi are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 13.9%Lowest CA: 12% 18.1%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 59.9%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than CA 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 6% below CA 20 minLowest 31% below CA

Work from home 7.2%±3.5Highest CA: 17.2% 4%±3Lowest CA: 17.2%

Tehachapi and Colusa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 21.8%Lowest 25.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 37.8 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.36Highest 0.93Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Bakersfield (9%)Williams (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColusaFew work in Tehachapi

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Lowest 13.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 15.1 miHighest 7.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.5 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.2Lowest 52.2Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #252 of 574 in CA #248 of 574 in CA

School district EPIC de Cesar Chavez District · Tehachapi UnifiedColusa Unified

High school in town Tehachapi HighColusa High

Students per teacherat that high school 22.5Highest 20.0Lowest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Tehachapi neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tehachapi’s Town Square.

Colusa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colusa’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tehachapi and Colusa

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Tehachapi

+ Compare

Golden Hills9,891 people · $410K homes

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Bear Valley Springs5,912 people · $496K homes

Towns like Tehachapi

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Anderson11,255 people · $283K homes

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Exeter10,258 people · $308K homes

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Coalinga17,203 people · $262K homes

+ Compare

Susanville14,177 people · $236K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Tehachapi vs Colusa

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Tehachapi

Colusa places higher on 13 of 22 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

342 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Tehachapi and Colusa

Bordering Tehachapi

Towns like Tehachapi

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