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COUNTY

Shelby County

Alabama · 238,552 residents (2025 est.) · 785.441 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#137Most educatedof 3,14446.8%
The short version

Shelby County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $97,961. The county has grown rapidly, with population up 61% since 2000. 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $326,100. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income. Households here earn about 53% more than the Alabama median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
47% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
230,211
+61%since 2000
from 143,293 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
293 / sq mi
+26%since 2009
from 233 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.3
+15%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:238,552 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
86K126K165K204K243K1990201020202024Shelby County
2024230K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(12,207)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(13,917)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147%(16,061)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(15,730)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(13,732)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.1%(27,926)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.5%(31,182)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.7%(31,633)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(29,057)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.2%(23,510)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(11,851)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(3,405)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$97,961
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,440 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,440
+82%since 2000
from $27,176 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
62.7%
+18.0 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.440
+1%since 2010
from 0.434 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services10.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Public administration8.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade8%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Education & health services2.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$326,100
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $136,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,401
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $635 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
81.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
18.6% rent
Vacancy rate
5.6%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
16.1%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 21.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.8%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.3
+20%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Shelby County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(126,951)
Black7.4%(10,570)
Hispanic / Latino2%(2,910)
Asian1%(1,465)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic73.2%(168,534)
Black13.4%(30,808)
Hispanic / Latino7.6%(17,419)
Asian2.2%(4,956)
Other3.7%(8,494)
Diversity Score
55
+54%since 2009
from 36 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−14%since 2020
from 25 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.5%(10,417)
South American0.8%(1,764)
Central American0.6%(1,445)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,417)
Cuban0.3%(782)
Salvadoran0.3%(619)
Venezuelan0.3%(580)
Colombian0.3%(577)
Honduran0.2%(405)
Spaniard0.1%(342)
Chilean0.1%(305)
Guatemalan0.1%(304)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(157)
Ecuadorian0%(102)
Dominican0%(96)
Argentine0%(43)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(1,390)
Chinese0.5%(1,244)
Vietnamese0.4%(950)
Filipino0.2%(379)
Korean0.1%(289)
Pakistani0.1%(168)
Nepalese0%(111)
Japanese0%(82)
Taiwanese0%(65)
Thai0%(65)
Laotian0%(18)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(59)
Guamanian0%(32)
Tongan0%(12)
Ancestry
English16.9%(39,017)
Irish9.6%(22,135)
American8%(18,339)
German7.5%(17,262)
Italian3.2%(7,339)
Scottish2.8%(6,478)
Scotch-Irish1.7%(4,000)
French1.5%(3,385)
Polish0.9%(2,015)
Arab0.8%(1,729)
Dutch0.6%(1,477)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.5%(1,229)
Lebanese0.5%(1,170)
Welsh0.5%(1,133)
British0.5%(1,072)
Swedish0.5%(1,071)
Danish0.3%(745)
Hungarian0.3%(654)
Greek0.3%(584)
Russian0.2%(464)
Nigerian0.2%(406)
West Indian0.2%(389)
Austrian0.1%(307)
Ukrainian0.1%(297)
Swiss0.1%(288)
Canadian0.1%(276)
Czech0.1%(244)
Turkish0.1%(226)
Palestinian0.1%(185)
Portuguese0.1%(178)
Jamaican0.1%(167)
Romanian0.1%(155)
Croatian0.1%(153)
Syrian0.1%(151)
Kenyan0.1%(151)
Slovak0.1%(145)
Lithuanian0.1%(139)
Iranian0.1%(136)
Bulgarian0.1%(127)
Haitian0.1%(123)
Belgian0%(87)
Finnish0%(75)
Brazilian0%(69)
Egyptian0%(58)
Armenian0%(58)
Latvian0%(23)
Israeli0%(13)
Ethiopian0%(11)
Slovene0%(9)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
46.8%
+10.1 ptssince 2000
from 36.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.5%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 86.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.1%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.5 min
+51%since 2000
from 19.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.8%
−9.5 ptssince 2009
from 84.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.7%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.9%
+12.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.9%
−3.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.1%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 69.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.4%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
48.9%
−18.0 ptssince 2009
from 66.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
51.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
5.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−42.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.4%
−84.2 ptssince 2013
from 90.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.7%
+10.2 ptssince 2017
from 84.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
91.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 91.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 5.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married27.7%(25,193)
Married62%(56,323)
Widowed2.7%(2,487)
Divorced7.5%(6,792)
Women 15+
Never married24.2%(23,540)
Married57.6%(56,034)
Widowed7.6%(7,394)
Divorced10.6%(10,263)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Shelby County to nearby counties

SHELBY COUNTY VS
Jefferson County
Income$66,388−32%
Home value$240,000−26%
Population665,742+179%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Chilton County
Income$65,603−33%
Home value$161,300−51%
Population47,708−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Talladega County
Income$57,776−41%
Home value$149,200−54%
Population81,603−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Bibb County
Income$52,541−46%
Home value$145,700−55%
Population22,262−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Alabama?

Shelby County, Alabama has about 230,211 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Shelby County, Alabama?

The typical household in Shelby County, Alabama earns about $97,961 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Shelby County, Alabama expensive?

In Shelby County, Alabama, the median home is worth about $326,100, and the typical rent is about $1,401 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 46.8% of adults age 25 and over in Shelby County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 7.2% of people in Shelby County, Alabama live below the federal poverty line.

Has Shelby County, Alabama grown since 1990?

Yes, Shelby County, Alabama has grown since 1990. The population has added about 130,853 residents, a change of about 132 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

55 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 303.36Census Tract 302.16Census Tract 306.13Census Tract 306.07Census Tract 302.15Census Tract 306.15Census Tract 303.52Census Tract 303.04Census Tract 302.20Census Tract 307.01Census Tract 303.20Census Tract 302.21Census Tract 303.40Census Tract 303.48Census Tract 302.19Census Tract 302.18Census Tract 303.30Census Tract 303.15Census Tract 303.17Census Tract 303.31
17 ZIP codes
ZIP 35242ZIP 35244ZIP 35007ZIP 35124ZIP 35080ZIP 35040ZIP 35115ZIP 35043ZIP 35051ZIP 35114ZIP 35147ZIP 35186ZIP 35143ZIP 35178ZIP 35078ZIP 35176ZIP 35185
Up the hierarchy
All counties in Alabama
Rankings
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →