CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2000 CENSUS

Shelby County

Alabama · 143,293 residents · 785 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Compare
The short version

Shelby County is a county of 143,293 people in Alabama. Households here earn about 62% more than in Alabama as a whole. The population is up 44% since 1990. Owners hold 81% of the housing stock. 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 24% nationally. Poverty is uncommon here, at 6.3% of people here.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Mid-age
median age 34.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

143,293
+44%since 1990
from 99,358 in 1990
1990 – 2025
34.9
+11%since 1990
from 31.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
785 sq mi
Population, 19902024
86K126K165K204K243K19902000201020202024Shelby County
2024230K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.5%(10,718)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.4%(10,616)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.3%(10,398)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.5%(9,332)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.8%(8,310)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.8%(22,627)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4417.9%(25,597)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5415%(21,495)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 648.4%(12,021)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.1%(7,342)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 842.6%(3,787)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.7%(1,050)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$55,440
+14%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $36,852 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$27,176
+67%since 1990
from $16,237 in 1990
US average: $21,522
6.3%
−2.8 ptssince 1990
from 9.2% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$136,200
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $88,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$635
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $457 in 1990
US average: $602
81.0%
+5.4 ptssince 1990
from 75.6% in 1990
19.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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

36.8%
+7.8 ptssince 1990
from 29.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
86.8%
+8.7 ptssince 1990
from 78.2% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
11.2%
+2.5 ptssince 1990
from 8.7% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

19.6 min
−15%since 1990
from 22.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married22.8%(12,290)
Married67.9%(36,565)
Widowed1.9%(1,020)
Divorced7.4%(3,995)
Women 15+
Never married18.3%(10,538)
Married64%(36,880)
Widowed7.4%(4,271)
Divorced10.3%(5,919)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Shelby County

Head to head

Compare Shelby County to nearby counties

Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Alabama?

Shelby County, Alabama has about 143,293 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Shelby County, Alabama earns about $55,440 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 $136,200, and the typical rent is about $635 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 36.8% 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 6.3% 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 43,935 residents, a change of about 44 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →