Population 1,541 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Shafter
Household size in Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.98 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Shafter is a place of big households: 2.98 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.77, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 53.2 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Shafter skews older than the country: its median age is 43.5, against 40.1 nationally.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in Shafter, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shafter is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About half of owners (49.7%) 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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.6% of homes in Shafter are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Shafter are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $494 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $536 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $619 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,030 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$536 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shafter pays $1,030 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 37.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Shafter (29.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little 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 Shafter
| Period | Shafter | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Shafter is a bit above the national rate: 91.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Shafter has been strong: just 1.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
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 | 2.98 | 43.5 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 3.6% | 1982 | $1,030 | 29.7% | 91.9% | 1.5% |
| Vandalia | 2.46 | 42.1 | 13.4% | 27.0% | 12.7% | 1967 | $852 | 18.8% | 86.7% | 4.6% |
| Van Burensburg | 2.69 | 43.8 | 5.9% | 11.4% | 5.8% | 1969 | $834 | 19.2% | 90.2% | 3.5% |
| Mulberry Grove | 2.52 | 41.0 | 7.9% | 16.9% | 20.2% | 1975 | $951 | 14.5% | 93.7% | 3.4% |
| Bingham | 3.29 | 38.7 | 10.0% | 11.3% | 5.4% | 1975 | $970 | 13.9% | 86.4% | 4.0% |
| Shobonier | 2.66 | 40.5 | 4.2% | 11.9% | 14.8% | 1977 | $791 | 10.9% | 80.5% | 3.0% |
| Pleasant Mound | 2.28 | 51.4 | 6.9% | 8.5% | 7.1% | 1987 | $852 | 21.1% | 93.4% | 4.4% |
| Confidence | 2.47 | 35.3 | 9.1% | 5.9% | 10.2% | 1978 | $879 | 10.5% | 91.5% | 0.4% |
| Fillmore | 2.44 | 42.9 | 2.7% | 18.9% | 5.2% | 1954 | $706 | 8.1% | 87.9% | 7.6% |
| Ramsey | 3.03 | 34.7 | 11.7% | 15.4% | 7.5% | 1969 | $824 | 10.7% | 81.4% | 3.5% |
| Hagarstown | 2.73 | 40.3 | 8.5% | 18.0% | 11.7% | 1978 | $780 | 11.1% | 76.6% | 0.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Valley Bend, WV · Chancellor, SD · Chesterville, OH · Chevak, AK · Chickasaw, OH · Clarence, MO · Clay Village, KY · Clayton, LA · Clear Creek Springs, KY · Clifton, SC
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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