The Burning of the Sky, 2010
South Taft’s story
South Taft in pictures
Census counts: 1,910 in 1960, 2,100 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
Explore the history →South TaftCA
In California, this town has 2,939 residents.
Population
2,939
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$185K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
26.1
years
Jobs based here
156
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#717 of 841 in CA
Is South Taft a good place to live?
A town with more to fix than most. Where it falls short is incomes: the median household income is $43K, and just over a third of residents live below the poverty line. South Taft’s overall D− puts it 717th of 841 in California. Set against the rest, it does better than 4% of U.S. towns. Health is weaker too (C−): CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 85% of the country. At about $185K, a typical home costs 2.6 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income. Its best grade is for walkability (B+) — it is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns. Only 40 of California’s 1,058 towns score higher on cost of living.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow.
What makes South Taft stand out
Where South Taft beats most towns.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave South Taft for work
Where South Taft’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
156jobs based in South Taft
3%of working residents work in town
30 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How South Taft grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far South Taft is from typical.
Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedD−Open →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listDOpen →HealthMercy Hospital 29.6 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsNear the bottom of the towns comparedC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 13.2% of households have no carB+Open →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 1% conserved landB−Open →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 97° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 26.1; 8% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to South Taft: who provides what
South Taft is unincorporated, so Kern County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWest Kern Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKern CountyKern County provides services here
SchoolsTaft City School DistrictTaft Union High School District2 districts serve South Taft; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereKern County Clerk - Elections OfficeKern County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9326893268 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in South Taft.
South Taft has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
OutdoorsB−
Open space protected for good: 0.7% of South Taft
In South Taft, the trail network density is 2.9 miles per square mile, above both California’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4).
#88for trails in CA
| South Taft | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.9 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
0.7%
conserved · 5 of 687 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 2.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC−
On state tests, South Taft’s schools trail 81% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Taft City school district. South Taft’s only public school teaches 306 students.
19%of CA districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 306 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
More of South Taft’s adults report frequent mental distress than in the typical California or U.S. town
The nearest emergency room, Mercy Hospital, is 29.6 miles away in a straight line. Against the 3,357 U.S. towns with household incomes like South Taft’s, it is healthier than 54%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in South Taft, 34% get no exercise outside work, against 24% in California’s towns and 25% across U.S. towns. 31% of South Taft adults say their health is fair or poor. The town beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19.
15%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| South Taft | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
2 better11 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | South Taft | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.2% | 35.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14% | 7.3% |
Mercy Hospital
29.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
11th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
South Taft has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
South Taft’s FEMA hazard score stands at 83 of 100. 72% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 19%.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
South Taft stands out in California and nationally, with more of its residents who live below the poverty line
South Taft has 156 jobs for its 566 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 398 in 2013 to 156.
Jobs in South Taft fell by 242 from 2013 to 2023, to 156. The town’s average commute comes in at 37 minutes. Most working residents leave South Taft for work: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Taft (19%), Bakersfield (16%) and Los Angeles (4%).
3%work in town
| South Taft | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 35% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In South Taft3%
Taft19%
Bakersfield16%
Los Angeles4%
Wasco2%
30 mi
median commute distance
156
jobs based in South Taft
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in South Taft brings mild winters and hot summers
The Taft weather station records that about 113 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 97.3°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.5°.
For South Taft, the January low is 40°F. It almost never snows.
97°summer high
| South Taft | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 97°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–61°
Spring50–76°
Summer64–95°
Fall53–80°
Dec 17
typical first frost
Jan 24
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
97°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
A home in South Taft sells for about $106K at the median
At 2.6 years of the Bakersfield metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 99% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. 68.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California.
The typical rent in South Taft is $955 a month. Among households in the town, 40% live in a home they own.
$106Kmedian sale price
| South Taft | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 40% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $955 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Taft
17pages on South Taft
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Taft
About 7 of every 100 South Taft residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About South Taft
Census-designated place in California, United States
South Taft is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. South Taft is located 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south of Taft, at an elevation of 1,017 feet (310 m). The population was 2,100 at the 2020 census, down from 2,169 at the time of the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,017 ft
- Area code
- 661
South Taft’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with South Taft.
TaftTaft HeightsSouth Taft
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Taft | #717 | D− | B | — | C− | C− |
| Taft | #743 | D− | C | D | C− | C |
| Taft Heights | — | — | C+ | — | C− | D |
Taft Heights has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. South Taft and Taft Heights report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Taft with a neighbor →
Questions about South Taft
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Taft, CA a good place to live?
South Taft grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #717 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is South Taft, CA expensive?
The typical home is worth about $185,000, 76% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.