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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Shelby County

Alabama · 195,085 residents · 785 sq mi
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The short version

With 195,085 people, Shelby County is a county in Alabama. That is roughly 62% ahead of the Alabama median. Owners hold 80% of the housing stock. The population is up 36% since 2000. 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty is uncommon here, at 7.4% of people here.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 36.9
US median: 37.2
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
195,085
+36%since 2000
from 143,293 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.9
+6%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
785 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
86K126K165K204K243K19902000201020202024Shelby County
2024230K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.7%(13,136)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 97.3%(14,202)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 147.4%(14,369)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.5%(12,688)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.5%(10,697)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.9%(27,125)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4415.3%(29,772)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.1%(29,433)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6411.8%(23,036)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.4%(12,488)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.2%(6,232)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1%(1,907)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,380
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,440 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,978
+25%since 2000
from $27,176 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
45.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
7.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.434
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12.2%
US avg: 11.5%
Other services10.8%
US avg: 7%
Public administration8.9%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade8.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade7.4%
US avg: 10.9%
Transportation & warehousing5.3%
US avg: 3.1%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food3.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Professional, scientific, technical2.3%
US avg: 4.2%
Education & health services2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.8%
US avg: 0.5%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$193,900
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $136,200 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$845
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $635 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
79.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
20.2% rent
Vacancy rate
8.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.59 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
22.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 21.6% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.5%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.8
+2%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(126,951)
Black7.4%(10,570)
Hispanic / Latino2%(2,910)
Asian1%(1,465)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic80.2%(156,371)
Black10.6%(20,606)
Hispanic / Latino5.9%(11,567)
Asian1.9%(3,699)
Other1.2%(2,299)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.9%(7,320)
Salvadoran0.2%(393)
Puerto Rican0.2%(368)
Spaniard0.1%(281)
Colombian0.1%(243)
Panamanian0.1%(145)
Peruvian0.1%(136)
Cuban0.1%(108)
Uruguayan0%(76)
Honduran0%(71)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
English15.8%(29,757)
Irish13.9%(26,163)
German11.1%(20,900)
American11%(20,611)
Italian4.3%(8,015)
Scotch-Irish3.9%(7,241)
Scottish3.7%(6,862)
French2.7%(5,073)
Polish1.5%(2,880)
Dutch1.3%(2,425)
Welsh0.8%(1,472)
Swedish0.7%(1,245)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.6%(1,187)
British0.6%(1,138)
Norwegian0.5%(932)
Lebanese0.4%(842)
Greek0.4%(840)
Russian0.2%(419)
Swiss0.2%(416)
West Indian0.2%(406)
Czech0.2%(368)
Hungarian0.2%(335)
Portuguese0.2%(303)
Austrian0.1%(245)
Danish0.1%(238)
Kenyan0.1%(221)
Ukrainian0.1%(201)
Iranian0.1%(180)
Finnish0.1%(148)
Palestinian0.1%(143)
Bulgarian0.1%(139)
Haitian0.1%(131)
Lithuanian0.1%(111)
Jamaican0.1%(111)
Croatian0.1%(94)
Syrian0%(89)
Armenian0%(89)
Canadian0%(78)
Romanian0%(76)
Latvian0%(75)
Slovak0%(53)
Nigerian0%(39)
Belgian0%(35)
Turkish0%(33)
Serbian0%(19)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 36.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
91.5%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 86.8% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
12.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.0 min
+48%since 2000
from 19.6 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
84.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 84.3% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
1.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
2.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
10.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
42.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
51.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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).

Uninsured
6.4%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
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%
Medicare
17.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
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

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Head to head

Compare Shelby County to nearby counties

SHELBY COUNTY VS
Jefferson County
Income$66,388−3%
Home value$240,000+24%
Population665,742+179%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Chilton County
Income$65,603−4%
Home value$161,300−17%
Population47,708−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Talladega County
Income$57,776−16%
Home value$149,200−23%
Population81,603−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Bibb County
Income$52,541−23%
Home value$145,700−25%
Population22,262−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Alabama?

Shelby County, Alabama has about 195,085 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Shelby County, Alabama earns about $68,380 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 $193,900, and the typical rent is about $845 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 39.6% 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 7.4% 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 95,727 residents, a change of about 96 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →