United States › Indiana › Shelby County COUNTY
Shelby County Indiana · 45,882 residents (2025 est.) · 411 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 45,265 people in Indiana. That puts it in the top 9% of US counties for household income. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The foreign-born share is 3%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $212,400. 72% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% 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 43,445 in 2000
45,882 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 107 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
40K 41K 43K 44K 46K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Shelby County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $72,190
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,649 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $20,324 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 30.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 7.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.436 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 5.7%
Public administration 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$212,400
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $99,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$987
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $528 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 73.4% in 2000
27.5% rent
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 21.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.4 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 96.7%(42,006)
Hispanic / Latino 1.1%(497)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 89.8%(40,646)
Hispanic / Latino 5.6%(2,549)
from 14 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 32 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
+ 25 more ancestry groups with data from 12.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 79.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 82.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 68.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 73.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 12.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 71.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 3.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 28.2%(5,143)
Women 15+
Never married 20.5%(3,811)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 60.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 17.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 70.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 34.7% 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) 28.5%(686)
Gulf War (1990s) 19.2%(462)
Share of the 2,406 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
Johnson County
Income $90,454 +25%
Home value $284,600 +34%
Population 174,262 +280%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Rush County
Income $66,473 −8%
Home value $166,800 −21%
Population 16,767 −63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Hancock County
Income $93,186 +29%
Home value $274,800 +29%
Population 90,969 +98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Decatur County
Income $69,783 −3%
Home value $199,100 −6%
Population 26,576 −42%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Shelby County, Indiana? Shelby County, Indiana has about 45,265 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Shelby County, Indiana? The typical household in Shelby County, Indiana earns about $72,190 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Shelby County, Indiana expensive? In Shelby County, Indiana, the median home is worth about $212,400, and the typical rent is about $987 a month.
How educated are people in Shelby County, Indiana? About 21.9% of adults age 25 and over in Shelby County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Shelby County, Indiana? About 13.0% of people in Shelby County, Indiana live below the federal poverty line.
Has Shelby County, Indiana grown since 1990? Yes, Shelby County, Indiana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,958 residents, a change of about 12 percent over that period.
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