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
median household income $71,215, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Shafter
What changed most since 1990
Population8,409 → 21,193(+152%)US over the same years: +35%
Hispanic share49.7% → 80.6%(+30.9 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share48.7% → 14.8%(−33.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Shafter's population equals 2.3% of Kern County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 1.4% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 1.4% of the county's.
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.8%(68)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.9%(170)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
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.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Shafter, decade by decade
Shafter population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
8,409
$51,858
$162,725
8.5%
64.5
2000
12,736
$53,766
$141,907
5.6%
56.6
2010
16,988
$51,666
$280,953
6.7%
40.9
2020
19,953
$57,491
$235,136
11.3%
41.6
2024
21,193
$71,215
$335,800
12.2%
41.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
