Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,387, settled in 1851.
Shasta’s best subject grade is an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Shasta’s July high is 98°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Only 6 of the 848 California towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Shasta. Shasta’s trail density is 3.1 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Shasta State Historic Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. Shasta has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Shasta beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,771 counted in 2010 and 1,043 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Shasta is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1855 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shasta is unincorporated, so Shasta County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Shasta.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Shasta since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Shasta Union Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 100 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Shasta for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Shasta has added 84 jobs, to 160 in 2023. Shasta’s median household income is $111,000.
| Shasta | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $111,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Shasta beats the California average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 39% of Shasta adults have high blood pressure.
| Shasta | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 4.7% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Shasta | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (16% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Shasta is 51 years. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Shasta | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 16% | 18% |
Somewhere between 27% and 60% women
The Census survey reached too few of Shasta’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±16.8 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Shasta | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.7% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.8% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.2% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Shasta has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 98°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
33 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Swasey Recreation Area, 238 acres with 3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Swasey Recreation Area | 3 mi | 238 |
| 2. Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area - Whiskeytown Unit | 0.5 mi | 76 |
| 3. Shasta State Historic Park | 0.2 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Shasta. Close and well known come first.
26 mi National forestShasta–Trinity National Forest
in town National Recreation AreaWhiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area764K visitors a year
5 mi MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration Park
5 mi TheatreCascade Theatre
26 mi MuseumWeaverville Joss House State Historic Park
5 mi GardenMcConnell Arboretum & Botanical GardensShasta–Trinity National Forest: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area: RoyalMayfair, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Turtle Bay Exploration Park: DimiTalen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cascade Theatre: Publichall, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens: Daderot, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Shasta
About 5 of every 100 Shasta residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
3 notable people were born in Shasta.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Shasta is a census-designated place (CDP) in Shasta County, California, United States. Shasta sits at an elevation of 843 feet (257 m). Its population is 1,043 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,771 from the 2010 census. Shasta State Historic Park located at Shasta is a ghost town and California State Historic Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
The typical home is worth about $396,000, 48% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Jim Hanks and Scott Leary.
-L1007085.jpg){kind=link}
