City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

South Taft, CA

South Taft's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

2,534
Residents
$41,875
Median income
$155,700
Median home
$2,053
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for South Taft.

Place dossier plate

Sheet CA-SOUTH-TAFT-CA · South Taft, CA 2,534 pop · income 9th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 2,534
  • INC-LOW $41,875
  • COL-ABOVE 110.7
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 9th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Ashland
  • HOME-LOW $155,700
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Ashland, AL (+ $0 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around South Taft

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest South Taft on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for South Taft on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 2,534.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $41,875. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

South Taft - the verdict

South Taft ranks in the 9th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

9th
percentile, household income
29th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: South Taft, CA

South Taft is a small town in California, home to 2,534 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $41,875 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 35.6%. Typical homes in South Taft are valued around $155,700, and the median resident age is 25.8 years. Educational attainment runs 9.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 47.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,053 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 35.1 minutes, with 69.5% driving alone and 7.9% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 88.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of South Taft's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to work and mobility to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For South Taft, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

How far does income reach against housing in South Taft?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 35.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

2. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in South Taft?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 69.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 35.1 minutes.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for South Taft?

Within California, the closest population matches are Bayview CDP (Contra Costa County) (2,533 residents, $132,356 income); Highlands (2,535 residents, $250,000+ income); Pine Canyon (2,538 residents, $106,284 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Blasdell, NY (2,534 residents); Fort Pierre, SD (2,534 residents); Meadow Glade, WA (2,534 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Population

2,534 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$41,875 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 35.6% (Highest-decile poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average

City profile score · South Taft, CA

5/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Household income F
$41,875

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Cost of living F
110.7 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
9.2%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Poverty rate F
35.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

South Taft profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Household income, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Poverty rate. Household incomeCost of livingBachelor's+ sharePoverty rate 5 F
South Taft profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Household income: 9/100 (F) · $41,875
  • Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 4/100 (F) · 9.2%
  • Poverty rate: 0/100 (F) · 35.6%

How does South Taft compare to other US cities?

South Taft measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 9% higher than other cities
Home value 29% pricier than other cities
Median rent 88% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares South Taft against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places South Taft near the bottom of California's cities

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, South Taft ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares South Taft only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,268 of 1,338
5th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#1,298 of 1,343
3rd percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#58 of 1,450
96th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,232 of 1,458
15th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

9thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

9th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How South Taft's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$155,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 71% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. South Taft $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

South Taft's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.7×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,782 of 15,516
More affordable than 37% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#7,770 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.7×, South Taft sits in the moderate band: national rank #9,782 of 15,516 and #7,770 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$41,875 South Taft, CA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - South Taft, CA South Taft, CA's median household income ($41,875) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not South Taft, CA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution South Taft, CA median $41,875/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
South Taft, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for South Taft, CA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 9.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 35.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 47.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,534
Median Income
$41,875
Median Home Value
$155,700
Median Age
25.8
Poverty Rate
35.6%
Labor force participation
47.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.2%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
35.1 minutes
Drive Alone
69.5%
Carpool
22.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
7.9%

Based on 827 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).

These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for South Taft. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around South Taft is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county South Taft sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How South Taft compares to similar-size California cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
South Taft (this city) 2,534 $41,875
Bayview CDP (Contra Costa County) 2,533 $132,356
Highlands 2,535 $250,000+
Pine Canyon 2,538 $106,284
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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