Cottonwood (Shasta County), California Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Cottonwood (Shasta County) is a small city located in California, within Shasta County. The total population is 7,408. It ranks as the 560th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cottonwood (Shasta County) is 38.8 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cottonwood (Shasta County) is $95,577. This is 4% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 18% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.7%. This is 28% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.9%. This is 10% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $363,000. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.8x. 68.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 23% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cottonwood (Shasta County) is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.1%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (76.5% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (10.1%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (4.4%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

15.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 59% lower than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 83.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Cottonwood (Shasta County), California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.