Studio Apartment for Rent in Taft, CA

Taft, California, is a small Bakersfield-area suburb with deep roots in the oil industry. Named after President William Howard Taft, the city of about 7,000 sits in Kern County, long known as the state’s energy production hub. Major operators like AERA Energy and ExxonMobil work nearby in the Midway-Sunset Field, the largest oil field in the U.S.. That history still shapes daily life and local culture. With a quieter, country feel, Taft tends to attract buyers seeking elbow room at lower rates than those in surrounding Central Valley cities. Housing includes a mix of Craftsman, ranch-style and Spanish-influenced homes, along with eclectic bungalows in areas like Ford City. Median single-family home prices are well below California and national averages. Downtown Taft looks like the Old West with its early-20th-century storefronts, home to Mexican restaurants and local shops. They are clustered around Center Street, where you’ll find the Art Deco Taft Fox Theater. Parks like the 67-acre Franklin Field Complex and the Rails-to-Trails path, which passes the Oil Worker Monument, offer outdoor recreation. Taft has a hot desert climate and, like much of central California, can experience air quality issues tied to geography and industry.