COUNTY
Shelby County
Kentucky · 51,243 residents (2025 est.) · 380 sq mi
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The short version
With 49,096 people, Shelby County is a county in Kentucky. Few US counties rank higher on income. The population is up 47% since 2000. Households here earn about 30% more than in Kentucky as a whole. 74% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 7%.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 36%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
49,096
+47%since 2000
from 33,337 in 2000
51,243 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
380 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202449K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(2,825)
5 to 96%(2,941)
10 to 146.5%(3,172)
15 to 195.9%(2,889)
20 to 246.1%(3,017)
25 to 3412.3%(6,048)
35 to 4412.8%(6,271)
45 to 5414%(6,852)
55 to 6414%(6,897)
65 to 7410.2%(4,992)
75 to 845.2%(2,556)
85 and over1.3%(636)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$82,604
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,534 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
57.4%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16.7%
Information12.8%
Wholesale trade7.9%
Other services7.6%
Finance & insurance6.6%
Public administration6.2%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2%
Construction1.9%
Education & health services1.6%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$304,800
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $122,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.7
+20%since 2009
from 3.1 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.
64
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic84.9%(28,293)
Black8.8%(2,923)
Hispanic / Latino4.5%(1,505)
Asian0.4%(133)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.6%(38,121)
Black3.7%(1,817)
Hispanic / Latino11%(5,399)
Asian0.9%(463)
Other6.7%(3,296)
47
+17%since 2009
from 41 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
29
−4%since 2020
from 30 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
Hispanic origin
Mexican5.2%(2,565)
Central American2.5%(1,213)
Guatemalan1.8%(885)
Puerto Rican1.2%(575)
Cuban1.1%(535)
South American0.3%(167)
Honduran0.3%(162)
Venezuelan0.3%(137)
Salvadoran0.3%(130)
Spaniard0.1%(70)
Nicaraguan0.1%(36)
Uruguayan0%(16)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Peruvian0%(14)
Asian origin
Chinese0.3%(158)
Korean0.2%(85)
Asian Indian0.2%(84)
Filipino0.2%(81)
Uzbek0.1%(58)
Japanese0%(7)
Vietnamese0%(4)
Ancestry
German16.2%(7,941)
English15.9%(7,826)
Irish15%(7,353)
American9.1%(4,454)
Scottish2.9%(1,404)
Scotch-Irish2.3%(1,116)
Italian1.8%(899)
French1.7%(837)
Polish1.4%(702)
Dutch1.3%(638)
Swedish0.7%(346)
Subsaharan African0.6%(296)
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data
British0.5%(267)
Welsh0.5%(225)
West Indian0.4%(218)
Russian0.4%(195)
Jamaican0.4%(190)
Swiss0.4%(188)
Norwegian0.3%(164)
Austrian0.3%(147)
Arab0.3%(143)
Portuguese0.2%(95)
Danish0.2%(87)
Hungarian0.1%(63)
Lithuanian0.1%(63)
Czech0.1%(55)
Greek0.1%(52)
Syrian0.1%(36)
Ukrainian0.1%(26)
Canadian0%(21)
Egyptian0%(20)
French Canadian0%(20)
Lebanese0%(16)
Bulgarian0%(15)
Armenian0%(10)
Romanian0%(10)
Belgian0%(7)
Slovak0%(6)
Slovene0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
89.8%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 79.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2020
from 72.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 92.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married28.1%(5,462)
Married60.4%(11,721)
Widowed2.5%(488)
Divorced8.9%(1,733)
Women 15+
Never married22.5%(4,679)
Married56.4%(11,696)
Widowed7.9%(1,640)
Divorced13.2%(2,739)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.6%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.6%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 71.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 35.6% 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)17.2%(460)
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(603)
Vietnam era37.9%(1,012)
Korean War1.1%(29)
World War II0.9%(25)
Share of the 2,673 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
Ogle County
Pop 51,399
Boone County
Pop 53,568
Bingham County
Pop 51,153
Tuolumne County
Pop 53,160
Places similar to Shelby CountyHead to head
Compare Shelby County to nearby counties
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Spencer County
Income$102,618+24%
Home value$330,000+8%
Population20,998−59%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Henry County
Income$63,347−23%
Home value$197,900−35%
Population16,447−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Oldham County
Income$122,497+48%
Home value$393,100+29%
Population70,986+39%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Franklin County
Income$65,298−21%
Home value$216,600−29%
Population52,649+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Shelby County, Kentucky?
Shelby County, Kentucky has about 49,096 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Shelby County, Kentucky?
The typical household in Shelby County, Kentucky earns about $82,604 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Shelby County, Kentucky expensive?
In Shelby County, Kentucky, the median home is worth about $304,800, and the typical rent is about $1,033 a month.
How educated are people in Shelby County, Kentucky?
About 32.8% of adults age 25 and over in Shelby County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Shelby County, Kentucky?
About 9.7% of people in Shelby County, Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.
Has Shelby County, Kentucky grown since 1990?
Yes, Shelby County, Kentucky has grown since 1990. The population has added about 24,272 residents, a change of about 98 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024