United States › California › Shafter CITY
Shafter California · 23,871 residents (2025 est.) · 38.7 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Shafter is a city of 21,193 people in California. This skews young, with a median age of 28.1. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The population has risen by half since 2000, adding 8,457 people. Households here earn about 28% less than in California as a whole. The foreign-born share is 24%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 28.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 137%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 12,736 in 2000
23,871 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
548 / sq mi
+39%since 2009
from 393 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 26.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
7K 11K 15K 19K 22K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Shafter Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $71,215
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,515 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $10,961 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 29.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.397 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 18%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing 2.4%
Education & health services 1.9%
Public administration 0.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.1%
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$335,800
+137%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,253
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $437 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 60.8% in 2000
35.3% rent
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 3.56 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 36.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 5.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 29%(3,693)
Hispanic / Latino 68.1%(8,667)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 14.8%(3,130)
Hispanic / Latino 80.6%(17,079)
from 40 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 9 more ancestry groups with data from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 47.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 2.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 18.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 71.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 19.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 12.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 56.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 56.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 31.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 11.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 22.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 53.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 77.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 28.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 70.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 44.6%(3,402)
Women 15+
Never married 38.8%(3,017)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 22.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 39.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 5.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 9.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 49.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 0.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 43.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 44%(203)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.8%(68)
Share of the 461 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Shafter Head to head
Compare Shafter to nearby cities SHAFTER VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Shafter, California? Shafter, California has about 21,193 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Shafter, California? The typical household in Shafter, California earns about $71,215 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Shafter, California expensive? In Shafter, California, the median home is worth about $335,800, and the typical rent is about $1,253 a month.
How educated are people in Shafter, California? About 12.2% of adults age 25 and over in Shafter, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Shafter, California? About 20.7% of people in Shafter, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Shafter, California grown since 1990? Yes, Shafter, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,784 residents, a change of about 152 percent over that period.
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