Population 23,211 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shafter
Household size in Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.63 | 3.27 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.76 | 3.34 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.62 | 3.28 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.65 | 3.26 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Shafter are large by national standards, averaging 3.65 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the northwest.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.4 | 31.8 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 27.6 | 32.2 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 28.7 | 33.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 28.2 | 33.9 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.1 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Shafter is young: half of its residents are under 28.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 26.4, as it has nationally. Only 13 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 18.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 18.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.8% | 16.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.4% | 17.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Shafter: 18.4% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across the Bakersfield area. Shafter has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five California cities.
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 Shafter
Renters in Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4% | 38.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 46.7% | 42.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.0% | 41.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 39.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Shafter is about as common as it is nationally: 36.7% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the Bakersfield area as a whole (39.9%). Among homeowners, 33.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 6.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 10.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 8.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Shafter: just 5.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1980 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1981 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1982 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Shafter is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the north has the oldest housing.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $848 | $968 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $920 | $1,061 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,007 | $1,163 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,693 | $1,610 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$845 | +$643 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shafter pays $1,693 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $845 a month since 2006–10, up 100%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 30.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the west.
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 Shafter
Bachelor's degrees in Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 14.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.7% | 15.3% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 16.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 20.5% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Shafter have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Shafter has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of California cities.
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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.0% | 70.3% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 57.5% | 72.3% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 54.8% | 73.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.7% | 77.2% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +19.7 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Shafter never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. That is in line with the rest of the Bakersfield area. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 19.7 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Bakersfield area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 13.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 9.9% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 8.6% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.5%, unemployment in Shafter is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider Bakersfield area (8.6%). Unemployment is down 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| North Shafter | 3.81 | 31.5 | 13.4% | 42.9% | 10.1% | 1975 | $1,405 | 8.9% | 72.4% | 7.8% |
| 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% |
| Tupman | 3.34 | 35.0 | 10.8% | 34.6% | 13.6% | 1977 | $1,181 | 8.2% | 77.0% | 10.1% |
| Oildale | 2.72 | 36.7 | 16.8% | 59.2% | 7.9% | 1970 | $1,340 | 13.8% | 82.1% | 11.1% |
| Bakersfield area | 3.26 | 33.9 | 17.8% | 39.9% | 7.8% | 1986 | $1,610 | 20.5% | 77.2% | 8.6% |
| Spicer City | 4.22 | 25.0 | 23.4% | 52.6% | 15.2% | 1996 | $1,041 | 8.2% | 55.0% | 9.0% |
| Cawelo | 2.57 | 61.5 | 1.9% | 1.1% | 14.6% | 1986 | $1,401 | 49.7% | 96.8% | 18.2% |
| Mc Kittrick | 3.03 | 36.9 | 9.8% | 31.9% | 15.3% | 1977 | $1,151 | 7.3% | 80.6% | 9.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shiloh, PA · Lomita, CA · Lumberton, TX · Mamaroneck, NY · Abbeville, LA · Rosedale, MD · Round Lake, IL · Sabana Grande, PR · Saco, ME · Salem, OH
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 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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