Errea House · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Measured against area pay, Tehachapi costs more to live in than 91% of U.S. towns
It ranks #361 of 846 in California for affordability. Up 0.8% in a year, 45% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area ($70K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Bakersfield-area metro earn ($70K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 5.1 years of metro income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $422Ktypical home, 45% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,530a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.1 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$70K, Bakersfield-area income
- 22%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 47%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 34%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Tehachapi?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Tehachapi’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tehachapi is more affordable than 9% of U.S. towns, #361 of 846 in California. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with California: up 14.9% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 14.9% in five years
About the same pace as California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Tehachapi | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $246,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $264,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $278,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $290,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $323,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $380,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $395,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $404,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $420,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $421,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $422,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Tehachapi home worth $239K in October 2016 is worth about $422K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 8 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 5.1 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Tehachapi’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $148K short of a typical Tehachapi home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530 a month here, $990 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Tehachapi’s typical property tax (0.86% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,530
Renters already here pay a median of $1,295, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Bakersfield-Delano, CA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
9 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 9 new homes in Tehachapi in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4.8 million to build. That's 0.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Tehachapi has permitted 189 homes in all.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $975,000 |
| 2025 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2024 | 49 | 30 | 19 | $15.8 million |
| 2023 | 31 | 31 | 0 | $14.2 million |
| 2022 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $6.7 million |
| 2021 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2018 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $5.5 million |
| 2017 | 27 | 27 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2016 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2015 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $350,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $3,074, under the California median of $5,124, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.86% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Tehachapi vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Tehachapi has the lowest. Bear Valley Springs and Golden Hills have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehachapi | D | $422K | $356K | 0.86% | $1,530 |
| Golden Hills | D | — | $410K | 0.87% | $1,530 |
| Bear Valley Springs | D | — | $496K | 0.98% | $1,530 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Tehachapi
Is Tehachapi expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tehachapi costs more than 91% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living, #361 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 5.1 years of the median household income of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area ($70K).
How much does a house cost in Tehachapi?
About $422K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.8% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Tehachapi?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $108,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,520 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $61,000.
How much is rent in Tehachapi?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,530 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,295 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Tehachapi?
The median bill is $3,074 a year, 0.86% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Tehachapi going up?
Barely: up 0.8% in the past year and 14.9% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Tehachapi buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.