Population 319 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in North Shafter
Household size in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.58 | 3.27 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.82 | 3.34 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.52 | 3.28 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.81 | 3.26 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in North Shafter are large by national standards, averaging 3.81 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 3.58 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.2 | 31.8 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.9 | 32.2 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.6 | 33.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.5 | 33.9 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +2.1 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
North Shafter is young: half of its residents are under 31.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 18.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 18.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.8% | 16.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 17.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in North Shafter than nationally: 13.4%, against 11.6%. Still, single parents are less common here than in the wider Bakersfield area (17.8%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in North Shafter
Renters in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1% | 38.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 42.4% | 42.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.6% | 41.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.9% | 39.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in North Shafter than nationally: 42.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Bakersfield area. Among owners, 46.5% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 10.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 8.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in North Shafter as nationally: 10.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Bakersfield area (7.8%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1980 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1981 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1982 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in North Shafter run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $669 | $968 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $735 | $1,061 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $926 | $1,163 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,405 | $1,610 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$736 | +$643 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in North Shafter pays $1,405 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in North Shafter
Bachelor's degrees in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 14.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 15.3% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 16.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 20.5% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in North Shafter: 8.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.9% | 70.3% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 55.6% | 72.3% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 62.5% | 73.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 72.4% | 77.2% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.6 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than a quarter of adults in North Shafter never finished high school, well above the national share: only 72.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in North Shafter
| Period | North Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 13.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 9.9% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 8.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in North Shafter runs well above the national rate: 7.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Still, the rate is lower than in the Bakersfield area as a whole (8.6%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
North Shafter compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Shafter | 3.81 | 31.5 | 13.4% | 42.9% | 10.1% | 1975 | $1,405 | 8.9% | 72.4% | 7.8% |
| Shafter | 3.65 | 28.2 | 18.4% | 36.7% | 5.2% | 1991 | $1,693 | 14.5% | 75.7% | 5.5% |
| Mexican Colony | 3.92 | 30.8 | 13.3% | 41.3% | 7.8% | 1977 | $1,281 | 9.7% | 73.9% | 9.2% |
| Wasco | 3.64 | 30.2 | 18.4% | 42.9% | 8.4% | 1988 | $1,122 | 7.7% | 62.6% | 7.1% |
| Buttonwillow | 3.49 | 29.5 | 21.1% | 57.6% | 9.9% | 1970 | $1,158 | 5.1% | 49.0% | 5.2% |
| McFarland | 3.90 | 26.1 | 27.5% | 45.5% | 7.0% | 1992 | $1,151 | 6.8% | 59.0% | 7.8% |
| Spicer City | 4.22 | 25.0 | 23.4% | 52.6% | 15.2% | 1996 | $1,041 | 8.2% | 55.0% | 9.0% |
| Oildale | 2.72 | 36.7 | 16.8% | 59.2% | 7.9% | 1970 | $1,340 | 13.8% | 82.1% | 11.1% |
| Lost Hills | 4.05 | 25.2 | 18.3% | 60.1% | 9.0% | 1986 | $882 | 5.0% | 37.8% | 5.8% |
| Cawelo | 2.57 | 61.5 | 1.9% | 1.1% | 14.6% | 1986 | $1,401 | 49.7% | 96.8% | 18.2% |
| Woody | 1.70 | 64.7 | 6.4% | 10.2% | 53.1% | 1971 | $800 | 19.1% | 92.4% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Blackwater, AZ · Winigan, MO · Wingate, TX · Winchester, WI · Brice, OH · Brassell, AL · Bodcau, LA · Board Camp, AR · Bloomington, MD · Blooming Rose, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up North Shafter. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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