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
median household income $82,604, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Shelby County
What changed most since 1990
Population24,824 → 49,096(+98%)US over the same years: +35%
Median home value (2024 dollars)$139,204 → $304,800(+119%)US over the same years: +67%
Black share10.1% → 3.7%(−6.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.6%(603)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.9%(1,012)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.1%(29)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(25)
US avg: 1%
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
Over time
Shelby County, decade by decade
Shelby County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
24,824
$68,402
$139,204
12.9%
23.8
2000
33,337
$82,947
$223,335
18.7%
33.7
2010
42,074
$79,547
$243,838
23.2%
41.3
2020
48,065
$87,950
$244,832
28.0%
47.4
2024
49,096
$82,604
$304,800
32.8%
47.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
