CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Shelby

North Carolina · 14,669 residents · 22.4 sq mi

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The short version

With 14,669 people, Shelby is a city in North Carolina. 53% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $52,300. That trails the North Carolina median by roughly 26%. The population has fallen 25% since 2000. The median age is 36.0, about 3 years above the US median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.0

US median: 33.0

Less educated

16% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 13%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

14,669

−25%vs 2000

vs 19,477 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

36.0

−7%vs 2000

vs 38.9 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

22.4 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202422K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.3%(1,075)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.8%(993)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.4%(936)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197%(1,032)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.3%(919)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3414.6%(2,144)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.5%(1,985)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.9%(1,306)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.3%(1,365)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 7411.3%(1,654)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 846.2%(912)

US avg: 4%

85 and over2.4%(348)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$19,829

−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $29,345 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,889

−36%vs 2000

vs $18,708 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

19.3%

+1.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 17.8% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$52,300

−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $79,600 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$343

−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $462 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

52.8%

−5.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 58.2% in 2000

47.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic56.4%(10,985)

Black40.7%(7,922)

Hispanic / Latino1.6%(304)

Asian0.5%(106)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic56.7%(8,317)

Black42.7%(6,262)

Hispanic / Latino0.6%(92)

Asian0.3%(44)

Other0.3%(46)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.2%(479)

Central American1.3%(298)

Guatemalan0.8%(168)

Puerto Rican0.5%(107)

Salvadoran0.5%(105)

Cuban0.3%(76)

Honduran0.1%(18)

Panamanian0%(7)

Spaniard0%(1)

Asian origin

Pakistani0.3%(64)

Chinese0.2%(47)

Asian Indian0.2%(36)

Thai0.1%(29)

Japanese0.1%(12)

Korean0%(8)

Ancestry

American20.2%(4,466)

English10.1%(2,236)

German7.4%(1,637)

Irish5.5%(1,210)

French2.1%(458)

Italian2%(432)

Scottish1.7%(373)

Scotch-Irish1.3%(293)

West Indian0.9%(189)

Polish0.8%(180)

French Canadian0.6%(135)

Subsaharan African0.5%(117)

+ 22 more ancestry groups with data

Romanian0.3%(68)

Belgian0.3%(61)

Greek0.3%(59)

Nigerian0.2%(51)

Welsh0.2%(42)

Australian0.2%(41)

Norwegian0.1%(28)

Croatian0.1%(26)

Dutch0.1%(26)

Serbian0.1%(25)

Swiss0.1%(21)

Jamaican0.1%(18)

Arab0.1%(15)

Jordanian0.1%(15)

Austrian0.1%(14)

Ukrainian0.1%(14)

Hungarian0%(11)

British0%(10)

Czech0%(10)

Finnish0%(9)

Turkish0%(7)

Swedish0%(5)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

15.8%

−2.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 18.0% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

61.0%

−12.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 73.2% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

5.7%

−0.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 6.1% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

13.6 min

−1%vs 2000

vs 13.7 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married37.8%(3,162)

Married47.4%(3,963)

Widowed3%(250)

Divorced11.8%(991)

Women 15+

Never married34.6%(3,363)

Married42.8%(4,165)

Widowed10.2%(992)

Divorced12.4%(1,208)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.4%

−10.5 ptssince 2013

from 16.9% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

43.6%

−1.0 ptssince 2020

from 44.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

14.5%

−3.0 ptssince 2020

from 17.5% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

24.0%

−3.1 ptssince 2020

from 27.1% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

31.5%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 30.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

4.7%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 4.9% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

56.3%

+0.7 ptssince 2020

from 55.6% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

52.7%

+1.5 ptssince 2020

from 51.2% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)16.9%(271)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)19.2%(307)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era43.2%(693)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War2.9%(46)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,603 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

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