Errea House · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0How is Tehachapi run?
Tehachapi’s city government spent $13.7 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,076 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.7 million) and the airport ($918,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Tehachapi is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,076 per resident a year, or $2.95 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,076 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Tehachapi’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,076 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,385, and the middle half spent $885–$1,910. Tehachapi spent less than 63% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Tehachapi itself left out).
No trend yet
Tehachapi reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,074 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Tehachapi’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Tehachapi’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tehachapi →
Who’s in charge in Tehachapi
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Tehachapi’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on liveuptehachapi.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 196 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,746).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Tehachapi Unified School District
Tehachapi’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,369 per pupil, $8,167 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Tehachapi’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Tehachapi alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Kern County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican59.2%167,414 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.2%108,047 votesOthers: 2.5% (7,118 votes).
Most votes in Kern County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Tehachapi lies in Kern County. Every 2024 race in Kern County is on the county’s page.
Kern County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Tehachapi.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: liveuptehachapi.com ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Tehachapi compares with the towns next door
Tehachapi spent $1,076 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Tehachapi | $1,076 | $3,074 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Tehachapi’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Tehachapi’s government
How much does Tehachapi spend per resident?
About $1,076 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,076 was less than 63% of 101 California cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Tehachapi?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,074 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see liveuptehachapi.com.
Who runs Tehachapi’s government?
See liveuptehachapi.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tehachapi yet.
How did Tehachapi vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Tehachapi alone. Kern County, where 100% of Tehachapi lies, voted Trump 59.2%, Harris 38.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Tehachapi?
65 full-time and 11 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $485,000 (about $5.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Tehachapi in the state legislature?
State Senate District 12 (Shannon Grove) and Assembly District 32 (Stan Ellis). The Assembly district also covers six other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Tehachapi’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →