Hat Creek, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 57, Hat Creek's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Hat Creek is a small community located in California, within Shasta County. The total population is 57. It ranks as the 1511th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hat Creek is 78.3 years. This is 107% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. 54.4% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The poverty rate stands at 34.0%. This is 183% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 5.0%. This is 24% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Hat Creek is White (non-Hispanic), making up 61.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 35.1%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (61.4% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (1.8%) is well below the state average of 5.2%.

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Hat Creek, 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.