ShaferMN
A town of 1,186. Healthier than 74% of U.S. towns.
What makes Shafer stand out
The thing Shafer does most differently from other towns.
1,186 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Shafer’s report card
Now in Shafer
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Shafer. Another town gets a different order.
Most working residents commute out of Shafer
Most working residents leave Shafer for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Forest Lake (6%), Minneapolis (5%) and Osceola (4%). Half commute less than 27 miles.
Where working residents work
Healthier than 74% of U.S. towns
Shafer beats the Minnesota average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
| What stands out | Shafer | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.1% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 22.4% | 17.8% |
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Shafer has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
Typical low → high °F
9.7% of Shafer is conserved land
0.0 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Shafer City Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Shafer Baseball Field | — | 1 |
| 3. Buffalo Ridge Park | — | 1 |
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 42% of U.S. communities.
Homes in Shafer sell for about $310K
The median sale price was $310,000 in April 2026.
99% of working residents leave Shafer for work
Where Shafer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Shafer
City in Minnesota, United States
Shafer is a city in Chisago County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Shafer had a population of 1,142. The city was named for Jacob Shafer, a pioneer settler. U.S. Highway 8 serves as a main route for the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,142
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 942 ft
- ZIP code
- 55074
- Area code
- 651