City report shows CCI is largest employer, Walmart pays most property tax, population dropping because of prison changes

But beyond the financial reporting, the budget report contains a wealth of information about the city, including basic demographics, top employers, principal property taxpayers and number of city employees.

Demographics

Unfortunately, demographics for the city of Tehachapi often seem distorted because official numbers typically include people incarcerated at the California Correctional Institution.

Changes in state law and the closure of the Level I facility there have resulted in a drop in prison population that also reduces the city’s population because the city annexed the prison some years ago. The annexation was in accordance with a change in state law that allowed annexation of noncontiguous territory when the property includes a state correctional facility. The additional population from the prison benefits the city in various ways.

However, the population statistics also make it appear that the city of Tehachapi is shrinking, has high unemployment and low per capita income.

In 2012, the population was 13,313 and in 2021 it had dropped to 12,375. While there have been only about 50 new homes built in the city over that period, the population drop appears to be largely related to fewer inmates. If the inmate population wasn’t included, the city might have shown population growth.

The same statistics, derived from the California Department of Finance, United States Census and California Employment Development Data, also make it appear that the city has lower personal income per capita and a higher unemployment rate than would likely be true if inmates weren’t considered.

According to the data, the city had an 11.7 percent unemployment rate in 2021 and per capita personal income of $22,001. For comparison, California’s unemployment rate in 2021 was about 5.5 percent and the national rate was about 3.9 percent.

Nationally, per capita personal income was about $63,444 in 2021 and in California it was about $76,614.

Principal employers

The financial report included statistics for the top 10 employers within the city as of June 2022. No data was available to provide a 10-year comparison.

Employers ranked are located within the city, although employees may not live or work within the city.

• California Correctional Institution - 1,440 employees

• Pearce Renewables - 954 employees

• Tehachapi Unified School District - 454 employees

• Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley - 260 employees

• Walmart - 240 employees

• Home Depot - 150 employees

• Albertsons - 120 employees

• Chemtool - 115 employees

• WM - 89 employees

• Save Mart - 85 employees

Property tax

Property tax is one of the city general fund’s largest sources of revenue. Between the end of fiscal year 2012-13 and June 30, 2022 — a nine-year period — there were changes in both the makeup of the top ten property taxpayers in the city and the total valuation.

At the end of 2022 the top ten held property valued at more than $126 million compared to the top ten total at the end of 2013 - $81.8 million.

Owners and valuations reported by the city at the end of 2022 are as follows:

• Walmart - $22,689,725

• Tehachapi Investment LLC - $20,611,341

• Evergreen Hospitality, Inc. - $12,099,593

• Loves Country Stores of CA - $11,108,941

• Pilot Travel Centers - $10,165,081

• Home Depot USA, Inc. - $9,438,894

• Tehachapi Tucker Road LLC - $9,113,709

• Chemtool, Inc. - $8,622,849

• YFP Tehachapi LLC - $7,402,907

Claudia Elliott is a freelance journalist and former editor of the Tehachapi News. She lives in Tehachapi and can be reached by email: claudia@claudiaelliott.net.