United States › Iowa › Shelby County COUNTY
Shelby County Iowa · 11,689 residents (2025 est.) · 591 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Shelby County is home to 11,778 people in Iowa. Few US counties rank higher on income. At a median age of 44.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $164,000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 13,173 in 2000
11,689 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 21 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 40.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
11K 12K 12K 13K 13K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Shelby County Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $72,738
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,442 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,969 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 6.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.399 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 10.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 8.4%
Public administration 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing 3.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.3%
Education & health services 1.2%
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$164,000
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$783
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $399 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 77.0% in 2000
22.2% rent
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 98.2%(12,938)
Hispanic / Latino 0.7%(88)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 91.3%(10,751)
Hispanic / Latino 4.4%(518)
from 6 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 19 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 Ancestry
+ 16 more ancestry groups with data from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 86.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 14.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 78.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 3.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 65.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 14.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 7.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 74.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 25.1%(1,178)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 7.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 50.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 21.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 19.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.2% 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) 19%(149)
Gulf War (1990s) 21.6%(169)
Share of the 784 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Shelby County Head to head
Compare Shelby County to nearby counties SHELBY COUNTY VS
Audubon County
Income $58,229 −20%
Home value $121,900 −26%
Population 5,509 −53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Crawford County
Income $67,027 −8%
Home value $153,700 −6%
Population 16,237 +39%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Pottawattamie County
Income $73,602 +1%
Home value $195,700 +19%
Population 92,996 +696%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Harrison County
Income $79,535 +9%
Home value $176,000 +7%
Population 14,623 +25%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Shelby County, Iowa? Shelby County, Iowa has about 11,778 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Shelby County, Iowa? The typical household in Shelby County, Iowa earns about $72,738 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Shelby County, Iowa expensive? In Shelby County, Iowa, the median home is worth about $164,000, and the typical rent is about $783 a month.
How educated are people in Shelby County, Iowa? About 24.1% of adults age 25 and over in Shelby County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Shelby County, Iowa? About 7.6% of people in Shelby County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.
Has Shelby County, Iowa grown since 1990? Yes, Shelby County, Iowa has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,452 residents, a change of about -11 percent over that period.
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