Shafter is a medium-sized city located in the state of California. With a population of 21,282 people and five associated neighborhoods, Shafter is the 321st largest community in California. Shafter has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Shafter, where the median household income is $66,418.00.

As is often the case in a small city, Shafter doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

The percentage of people in Shafter with college degrees is quite a bit lower than the national average for cities and towns of 21.84%: just 11.10% of people over 25 have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Shafter in 2022 was $20,708, which is low income relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $82,832 for a family of four. However, Shafter contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Shafter is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Shafter home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in Shafter, accounting for 82.32% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of Shafter residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Shafter include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Portuguese.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Shafter's cultural character, accounting for 25.46% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Shafter is Spanish. Other important languages spoken here include English and Arabic.