A large Carnation tomato processing plant and a Pirelli tire factory are located just south of town. While it is in a rural setting, the city does have a shopping mall with several large anchor stores. The climate of Hanford is dry. Average rainfall is slightly under 8 inches, with nearly all precipitation occurring between November and April. Snow is rare.
Summers are sunny and hot.
The warmest normal daily maximum temperature is in late July at 97 degrees, but the normal overnight minimum for the same period is only 62 degrees. Winters have mild temperatures, though minimum temperatures occasionally drop below freezing. The average maximum temperature for January is 54 and the average minimum is 34 degrees. West Hills Community College is located about 20 miles west of town, while College of the Sequoias, another community college, is located about 15 miles to the east. Full-time enrollment there is over 19,000 students, including 3,500 graduate students.