Taft, California is a small remote city located in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. Although there is no exact population count for the city, the estimated number of residents is about 7,400 people. The health infrastructure in this area is limited, but there are a few local hospitals and medical facilities that offer health services to the community. Taft Community Medical Center provides primary care services such as preventative care and chronic disease management. They also provide mental health services and have specialists on hand for urgent care needs. Additionally, Kern Medical Center is another hospital located nearby that provides emergency services, cardiac care, and surgery. Local clinics such as Taft Family Practice and Central Valley Health Care provide basic health care services such as physicals, vaccinations, and minor procedures. Overall, the health infrastructure of Taft may be limited but it still offers its residents access to some vital healthcare services.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 112 physicians per 100,000 population in Taft. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Taft area is 83.8 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
83.8 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Taft area is 42 (100=best). The US average is 55.
42 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Taft area is 93 (100=best). The US average is 87.
93 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Taft commutes 23.4 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Taft area is 73 (100=best). The US average is 58.
73 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.