Tehachapi, CA Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Tehachapi. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Tehachapi compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Tehachapi, California

Cost of living in Tehachapi research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Tehachapi is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

117 Cost of living index 1.2x higher vs US
#73 Cheapest in California (of 634)
#4,144 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$424,155 Median home value
$1,295 Median rent
$72,957 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Tehachapi, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Tehachapi has an overall cost of living index of 117, which is 1.2x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Tehachapi has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 142.

The standard of living in Tehachapi ranks as #73 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Tehachapi ranks as the #561 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Tehachapi, check out:

Tehachapi Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Tehachapi. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Tehachapi is 110.

  • The Groceries index in Tehachapi is 117.

  • The Health index in Tehachapi is 121.

  • The Housing index in Tehachapi is 118.

  • The Transportation index in Tehachapi is 118.

  • The Utilities index in Tehachapi is 119.

Living Expense Tehachapi California National Average
Overall 117 142 100
Services 110 110 100
Groceries 117 118 100
Health 121 197 100
Housing 118 120 100
Transportation 118 121 100
Utilities 119 121 100

Tehachapi Cost Of Living Compared To California Averages

Services
Tehachapi 110
California avg 110
Groceries
Tehachapi 117
California avg 118
Health
Tehachapi 121
California avg 197
Housing
Tehachapi 118
California avg 120
Transportation
Tehachapi 118
California avg 121
Utilities
Tehachapi 119
California avg 121

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Tehachapi, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

$424,155Median Home Value
$1,295Median Rent
$72,957Median Income

Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Tehachapi is $424,155.

  • The Median Rent in Tehachapi is $1,295.

  • The Median Income in Tehachapi is $72,957.

  • The Home Value To Income in Tehachapi is 5.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Tehachapi is 0.21x.

Statistic Tehachapi California United States
Median Home Value $424,155 $774,581 $332,700
Median Rent $1,295 $2,036 $1,413
Median Income $72,957 $99,122 $80,734
Home Value To Income 5.8x 7.8x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.21x 0.25x 0.21x

Tehachapi, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Tehachapi Services costs vs. California
Item Tehachapi California
Shampoo $1.48 $1.28
Movie $18.12 $12.13
Bowling $22.67 $18
Haircut $26.25 $24.26
Beauty Salon $89.33 $45.56
Detailed Tehachapi Groceries costs vs. California
Item Tehachapi California
Ground Beef $5.77 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.63 $1.57
Milk $4.91 $4.67
Potatoes $4.9 $4.93
Pizza $13.49 $12.09
Beer $11.13 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.75 $3.7
Detailed Tehachapi Health costs vs. California
Item Tehachapi California
Optometrist $142.2 $125.68
Doctor $131.33 $135.78
Dentist $131.5 $113.29
Detailed Tehachapi Transportation costs vs. California
Item Tehachapi California
Gasoline $4.62 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.0 $59.92
Detailed Tehachapi Utilities costs vs. California
Item Tehachapi California
All Electricity $231.4 $193.99
Phone $193.81 $192.25

Tehachapi SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 4/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 4/10
Diversity 9/10
Safety 4/10
Amenities 8.5/10
Education 4/10
Commute 8/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Tehachapi

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Tehachapi. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Bakersfield, CA has a cost of living index of 124, 1.1x Tehachapi.

  • Oildale, CA has a cost of living index of 108, 0.9x Tehachapi.

  • Rosamond, CA has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x Tehachapi.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Tehachapi
Bakersfield, CA 411,986 124 1.1x
Oildale, CA 34,687 108 0.9x
Rosamond, CA 21,473 115 1.0x
Shafter, CA 21,193 113 1.0x
Arvin, CA 19,539 111 0.9x
Rosedale, CA 18,877 142 1.2x
Castaic, CA 17,999 166 1.4x
Lamont, CA 13,164 107 0.9x
Quartz Hill, CA 11,510 132 1.1x
Golden Hills, CA 9,891 124 1.1x