Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Taft, California
A $246,000 home here costs
$2,056per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,265. The real number is $791 higher every month — 63% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Taft against Kern County and California
| Measure | Taft | Kern County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $246,400 | $310,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,178 | $2,833 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.884% | 0.912% |
| Median gross rent | $989 | $1,220 |
| Population | 7,228 | 910,433 |
The weather behind that power bill
Taft sits in Kern County, which averages a high of 98.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.6°F in its coldest, with 6.36" of precipitation a year and 55% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,425 cooling and 1,958 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Kern County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Kern County
Full Kern County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Taft?
A $246,000 home in Taft, California costs approximately $2,056 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,265 principal and interest, $181 property tax, $38 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $205 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Taft?
Taft has an effective property tax rate of 0.884%, based on a median home value of $246,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,178. That is lower than the Kern County average of 0.912%.
What is the average home price in Taft?
The median owner-occupied home value in Taft, California is $246,400, against $310,600 across Kern County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Taft?
Median gross rent in Taft is $989 a month, against $2,056 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Taft — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.