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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Shelby County

Alabama · 223,024 residents · 785 sq mi
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The short version

With 223,024 people, Shelby County is a county in Alabama. Since 2000 the county has risen by half, up 79,731 people. That is roughly 52% ahead of the Alabama median. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 5% of people here were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.8
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
223,024
+56%since 2000
from 143,293 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.2
+12%since 2000
from 34.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
785 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
86K126K165K204K243K19902000201020202024Shelby County
2024230K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.5%(12,350)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(14,270)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.2%(16,116)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.2%(15,963)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(13,846)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3411.9%(26,518)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.6%(30,401)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.7%(30,562)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.7%(28,276)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.7%(21,526)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.5%(10,058)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.4%(3,138)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$78,889
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,440 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,711
+46%since 2000
from $27,176 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
52.4%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 44.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
6.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.7%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services10.5%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration8.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Retail trade7.6%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing4%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Education & health services2.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.7%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.5%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$220,700
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $136,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,078
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $635 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
78.1%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
21.9% rent
Persons per household
2.64 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.59 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.8
Unchangedsince 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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic73%(162,712)
Black12.9%(28,711)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(16,460)
Asian2.3%(5,114)
Other3%(6,610)
Segregation Score
25
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
Mexican3.2%(6,883)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,465)
South American0.6%(1,376)
Central American0.6%(1,274)
Salvadoran0.4%(782)
Venezuelan0.3%(647)
Cuban0.3%(603)
Colombian0.2%(329)
Guatemalan0.1%(275)
Spaniard0.1%(242)
Ecuadorian0.1%(151)
Dominican0%(101)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.6%(1,267)
Chinese0.4%(827)
Asian Indian0.4%(779)
Korean0.2%(430)
Japanese0.1%(275)
Filipino0.1%(271)
Thai0.1%(119)
Pakistani0%(57)
Taiwanese0%(47)
Nepalese0%(26)
Cambodian0%(22)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(13)
Samoan0%(11)
Ancestry
English12.2%(26,491)
American12.1%(26,141)
Irish10.8%(23,280)
German8.2%(17,839)
Italian3.7%(7,908)
Scottish2.6%(5,621)
French2.3%(4,924)
Scotch-Irish2.1%(4,442)
British1.2%(2,646)
Polish1.2%(2,578)
Welsh0.9%(1,950)
Dutch0.8%(1,647)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(1,173)
Norwegian0.5%(1,118)
Lebanese0.5%(999)
Greek0.4%(792)
Russian0.3%(720)
Danish0.3%(545)
Czech0.2%(338)
Ukrainian0.2%(337)
Portuguese0.2%(326)
Hungarian0.1%(322)
West Indian0.1%(302)
Swiss0.1%(285)
Iranian0.1%(269)
Arab0.1%(251)
Canadian0.1%(226)
Nigerian0.1%(206)
Finnish0.1%(183)
Croatian0.1%(172)
Egyptian0.1%(167)
Lithuanian0.1%(159)
Austrian0.1%(154)
Jamaican0.1%(137)
Romanian0.1%(125)
Slovak0.1%(112)
Haitian0%(88)
Belgian0%(83)
Syrian0%(81)
Bulgarian0%(60)
Brazilian0%(40)
Slovene0%(40)
Moroccan0%(33)
Armenian0%(33)
Kenyan0%(12)
Latvian0%(7)
Israeli0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
44.2%
+7.4 ptssince 2000
from 36.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
93.2%
+6.4 ptssince 2000
from 86.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.3%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.2% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.6 min
+51%since 2000
from 19.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
83.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 84.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
2.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.8%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.4%
−4.2 ptssince 2011
from 69.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
46.8%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
5.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
6.1%
−3.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.8%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
6.1%
−3.3 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
66.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
16.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
17.4%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
9.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
80.8%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
25.8%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.9%(2,365)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)26%(3,263)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era31.9%(4,001)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.8%(981)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.6%(205)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 12,536 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$66,388−16%
Home value$240,000+9%
Population665,742+179%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Chilton County
Income$65,603−17%
Home value$161,300−27%
Population47,708−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Talladega County
Income$57,776−27%
Home value$149,200−32%
Population81,603−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Bibb County
Income$52,541−33%
Home value$145,700−34%
Population22,262−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Alabama?

Shelby County, Alabama has about 223,024 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Shelby County, Alabama earns about $78,889 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 $220,700, and the typical rent is about $1,078 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Alabama?

About 44.2% 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 6.9% 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 123,666 residents, a change of about 124 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 →