Hot desert

South Taft, California

Kern County, California · Population 2.5k · 1,017 ft elevation

Living in South Taft

South Taft has a hot desert climate: scorching summers (July highs around 98°F) and mild winters (January lows around 40°F).

Precipitation is very dry at about 6″ a year, and it essentially never sees snow.

Skies are exceptionally sunny (84% of possible sunshine). It never gets truly muggy.

Air quality is poor: a median AQI of 70, with about 65 unhealthy-air days in the latest year.

South Taft is an outdoor hub: about 41% of the land within 30 miles is public (parks, national forest and the like), and the terrain rises and falls about 4,600 ft around town.

South Taft at a glance

Population
2.5k
Elevation
1,017 ft
Average daily high
78°F84th percentile
Average daily low
52°F76th percentile
Annual precipitation
6″1th percentile
Annual snowfall
0″0th percentile
Sunshine hours per year
3,772 hrs98th percentile
Median AQI
7097th percentile
Median home value
$156k20th percentile
Median rent
$892/mo23th percentile
Median household income
$42k6th percentile
Property tax rate
0.67%23th percentile
Top state income-tax rate
13.3%
Sales tax (state + local)
8.8%
Unemployment rate
13.7%
Homes with broadband
78%5th percentile
Walkability index
6.416th percentile
Average commute
38 min
Math proficiency (8th grade)
22%12th percentile
Reading proficiency (8th grade)
47%
Violent crime rate
380 per 100k80th percentile
Property crime rate
2,278 per 100k
Overall natural-hazard risk
9986th percentile
Outdoor access
9897th percentile
Public land within 10 miles
45%
Public land within 30 miles
41%
Mountain relief within 30 miles
4,626 ft

Climate by month

Average monthly weather in South Taft, California
MonthHighLowPrecipitationSnowSunshine
Jan58°F40°F1.1″0.1″198 hrs
Feb62°F43°F1.2″0.1″220 hrs
Mar69°F48°F1.0″—290 hrs
Apr75°F49°F0.6″—325 hrs
May83°F56°F0.4″—389 hrs
Jun92°F59°F0.0″—418 hrs
Jul98°F67°F0.0″—422 hrs
Aug97°F65°F0.0″—402 hrs
Sep92°F61°F0.1″—354 hrs
Oct80°F53°F0.3″—309 hrs
Nov66°F46°F0.4″—243 hrs
Dec58°F40°F0.9″—204 hrs

Near South Taft

Largest places in California

Sources: NOAA climate normals, NASA POWER, EPA air quality, U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, EPA walkability and EDFacts. Methodology