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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Shelby County

Alabama · 99,358 residents · 785 sq mi
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The short version

Shelby County is a county of 99,358 people in Alabama. Households here earn about 56% more than in Alabama as a whole. Owners hold 76% of the housing stock. There are 43,935 fewer people here than in 2000. 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Households take in $36,852 a year at the median, 22% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 31.6
US median: 33.0
More educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 14%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

99,358
−31%vs 2000
vs 143,293 in 2000
1990 – 2025
31.6
−10%vs 2000
vs 34.9 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
785 sq mi
Population, 19902024
86K126K165K204K243K19902000201020202024Shelby County
2024230K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58%(7,904)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 98.1%(8,061)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.2%(7,172)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(6,977)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.4%(7,306)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419.4%(19,291)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4417.9%(17,786)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.6%(10,524)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647%(6,936)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 744.6%(4,576)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.3%(2,283)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.5%(542)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$36,852
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $55,440 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$16,237
−40%vs 2000
vs $27,176 in 2000
US average: $14,340
9.2%
+2.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$88,500
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $136,200 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$457
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $635 in 2000
US average: $450
75.6%
−5.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 81.0% in 2000
24.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(126,951)
Black7.4%(10,570)
Hispanic / Latino2%(2,910)
Asian1%(1,465)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic91.3%(90,700)
Black7.7%(7,609)
Hispanic / Latino0.5%(504)
Asian0.6%(587)
Other0.5%(462)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

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)
Section 05

Education

29.0%
−7.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 36.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
78.2%
−8.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 86.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
8.7%
−2.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 11.2% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

22.9 min
+17%vs 2000
vs 19.6 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 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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

6.4%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
65.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 66.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 16.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
17.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
9.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 9.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 80.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 25.8% 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)26%(2,923)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24.1%(2,711)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.8%(3,792)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(438)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(52)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,229 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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Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Alabama?

Shelby County, Alabama has about 99,358 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Shelby County, Alabama earns about $36,852 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 $88,500, and the typical rent is about $457 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 29.0% 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 9.2% of people in Shelby County, Alabama live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →