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 B−FortunaSafer than 47% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−TehachapiBetter than 48% of districts in the state C−FortunaBetter than 24% of districts in the state

Health

C+TehachapiHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns C+FortunaHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns

6Tehachapi

16Fortuna

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #787#17 SafestSafety · 411 towns #316#108 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #790#393 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#802 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #252#550 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #653#391 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #272#52 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #602#397

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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 →

Fortuna$2,460/mo

Typical home $418K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $1,168/mo · Housing →

The difference: $70 a month, about $800 a year, between Tehachapi and Fortuna.

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.

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

TehachapiFortuna

Snow a year—1″

January low—38°F

July high—73°F

Growing season (days)—264d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th 95th

Outdoors & history

TehachapiFortuna

Trails15 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.8%2.9%

Settled1876 1906

National Register places2 1

Archive photos18 8

Famous people born here4 6

Community

TehachapiFortuna

Library hours a week32 hrs 35 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

488 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TehachapiCA FortunaCA

Tehachapi ↔ Fortuna488 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

TehachapiFortuna

People

Population 11,946Lowest 12,326Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -10.2%Lowest CA: +6.1% +4.9%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 39.1±2.7Highest 3% above CA 37.4±4.3Lowest about the CA average

Tehachapi and Fortuna 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% 20.7%±3.1Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 13.4%±2.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 17.3%±2.3Highest CA: 15.7%

Fortuna 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% 24.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±1.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 6.2%±1.9Highest CA: 7.6%

Fortuna and Tehachapi 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 $62,289±$5kLowest 37% below CA

Tehachapi and Fortuna 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 $379,700±$22kHighest 48% below CA

Fortuna 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 $1,168±$118Lowest 43% below CA

Tehachapi and Fortuna 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 $2,939Lowest 43% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.8%±9.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 51.3%±10.7Highest CA: 55.3%

Fortuna 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% 18.2%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 58.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 56.1%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than CA 1978Lowest 2 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 6% below CA 25 minLowest 14% below CA

Work from home 7.2%±3.5Lowest CA: 17.2% 11.1%±4.2Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 21.8%Lowest 23.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 37.8 miHighest 13.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.36Highest 0.65Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Bakersfield (9%)Eureka (26%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Lowest 2.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 15.1 miHighest 2.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.5 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.2Lowest 75.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #252 of 574 in CA #376 of 574 in CA

School district EPIC de Cesar Chavez District · Tehachapi UnifiedFortuna Elementary · Fortuna Union High

High school in town Tehachapi HighFortuna Union High

Students per teacherat that high school 22.5Highest 20.6Lowest

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.

Fortuna neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 6d

Ordinary Days in Fortuna

1 neighbor in Fortuna can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tehachapi and Fortuna

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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

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 Fortuna

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Fortuna places higher on 16 of 23 CA lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

488 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Ordinary Days in Fortuna

Set another town beside Tehachapi and Fortuna

Bordering Tehachapi

Towns like Tehachapi

Post to Tehachapi

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