CensusEasy
COUNTY

Shelby County

Tennessee · 910,226 residents (2025 est.) · 761.263 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Memphis metro area
Compare
Notable rankings
#65Largest by populationof 3,144910,226#134Most densely populatedof 3,1441,196
The short version

Shelby County has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $63,767. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $249,100.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 51%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
919,173
+2%since 2000
from 897,472 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,207 / sq mi
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1,206 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.9
+9%since 2000
from 32.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:910,226 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
815K849K882K916K949K1990201020202024Shelby County
2024919K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.8%(62,491)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.1%(65,270)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.3%(66,721)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(60,634)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(58,610)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.7%(134,996)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.9%(118,278)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.8%(108,137)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.7%(107,986)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.3%(85,311)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(37,352)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(13,387)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$63,767
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,593 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,083
+87%since 2000
from $20,856 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.2%
+15.6 ptssince 2009
from 27.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.513
+4%since 2010
from 0.495 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Finance & insurance13.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical13.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Information10.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade5.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$249,100
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $90,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,232
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $566 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
54.1%
−8.9 ptssince 2000
from 63.1% in 2000
45.9% rent
Vacancy rate
10.3%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
22.5%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 31.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
+33%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
50
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Shelby County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic46.2%(414,888)
Black48.4%(434,201)
Hispanic / Latino2.6%(23,364)
Asian1.6%(14,552)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic32.7%(300,954)
Black52.3%(480,352)
Hispanic / Latino8.8%(81,334)
Asian2.9%(26,990)
Other3.2%(29,543)
Diversity Score
76
+7%since 2009
from 71 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
60
−1%since 2020
from 61 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
Mexican4.6%(42,432)
Central American2.2%(20,558)
Guatemalan0.9%(8,141)
Honduran0.9%(7,972)
South American0.8%(7,039)
Venezuelan0.4%(3,940)
Puerto Rican0.4%(3,447)
Salvadoran0.3%(2,973)
Cuban0.2%(2,129)
Colombian0.2%(1,462)
Nicaraguan0.1%(871)
Spaniard0.1%(727)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(717)
Panamanian0.1%(501)
Peruvian0%(408)
Argentine0%(291)
Chilean0%(251)
Uruguayan0%(248)
Ecuadorian0%(192)
Bolivian0%(21)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(10,402)
Vietnamese0.5%(4,231)
Chinese0.4%(4,051)
Filipino0.3%(2,533)
Korean0.1%(1,006)
Pakistani0.1%(909)
Laotian0.1%(474)
Japanese0.1%(460)
Cambodian0%(434)
Nepalese0%(299)
Mongolian0%(220)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(173)
Burmese0%(164)
Indonesian0%(158)
Thai0%(96)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(1,020)
Chamorro0%(443)
Samoan0%(234)
Guamanian0%(50)
Tongan0%(35)
Ancestry
English7.2%(65,890)
Irish5.2%(47,774)
American4.9%(45,362)
German4.6%(42,556)
Italian1.8%(16,867)
Subsaharan African1.6%(14,328)
Scottish1.3%(11,670)
French0.9%(8,232)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(7,284)
Polish0.7%(6,168)
Arab0.5%(4,528)
Nigerian0.4%(3,234)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.3%(2,968)
Norwegian0.3%(2,887)
British0.3%(2,424)
Swedish0.3%(2,359)
Welsh0.2%(2,000)
West Indian0.2%(1,921)
Russian0.2%(1,775)
Greek0.2%(1,451)
Ukrainian0.1%(1,140)
Swiss0.1%(1,076)
French Canadian0.1%(1,007)
Lebanese0.1%(975)
Czech0.1%(946)
Jamaican0.1%(849)
Austrian0.1%(808)
Portuguese0.1%(787)
Hungarian0.1%(697)
Ghanaian0.1%(681)
Lithuanian0.1%(595)
Palestinian0.1%(566)
Canadian0.1%(547)
Ethiopian0.1%(483)
Croatian0.1%(479)
Danish0.1%(463)
Kenyan0%(405)
Syrian0%(338)
Iranian0%(331)
Romanian0%(324)
Brazilian0%(322)
Egyptian0%(257)
Jordanian0%(225)
Slovak0%(209)
Haitian0%(207)
Moroccan0%(202)
Turkish0%(202)
Belgian0%(199)
Somali0%(160)
Armenian0%(152)
Finnish0%(140)
Latvian0%(125)
Israeli0%(97)
Serbian0%(81)
Iraqi0%(68)
Bulgarian0%(66)
Guyanese0%(64)
Slovene0%(32)
Barbadian0%(29)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest German population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.3%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 25.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.9%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 80.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.0%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 8.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.3 min
+53%since 2000
from 14.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
76.6%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 82.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.8%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.2%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 10.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.7%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 66.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.1%
−26.7 ptssince 2009
from 64.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.7% in 2009
Female
52.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.3% in 2009
Foreign born
7.9%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−40.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2012
from 12.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.0%
−72.2 ptssince 2013
from 84.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.6%
+19.1 ptssince 2017
from 70.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
88.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 90.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2016
from 5.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.6%(147,099)
Married44.7%(150,790)
Widowed2.9%(9,789)
Divorced8.8%(29,849)
Women 15+
Never married41.1%(158,986)
Married38%(146,955)
Widowed8.4%(32,329)
Divorced12.6%(48,894)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Shelby County

Milwaukee County
Pop 924,216
Polk County
Pop 874,790
El Paso County
Pop 877,858
Marion County
Pop 992,196
Places similar to Shelby County
Head to head

Compare Shelby County to nearby counties

SHELBY COUNTY VS
DeSoto County
Income$85,297+34%
Home value$269,600+8%
Population197,918−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Crittenden County
Income$55,358−13%
Home value$160,200−36%
Population46,210−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Tipton County
Income$74,127+16%
Home value$240,600−3%
Population62,287−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SHELBY COUNTY VS
Fayette County
Income$88,456+39%
Home value$340,800+37%
Population45,071−95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Shelby County, Tennessee?

Shelby County, Tennessee has about 919,173 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Shelby County, Tennessee earns about $63,767 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Shelby County, Tennessee expensive?

In Shelby County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $249,100, and the typical rent is about $1,232 a month.

How educated are people in Shelby County, Tennessee?

About 34.3% of adults age 25 and over in Shelby County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Shelby County, Tennessee?

About 17.8% of people in Shelby County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

Has Shelby County, Tennessee grown since 1990?

Yes, Shelby County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 92,843 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

249 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 217.45Census Tract 208.36Census Tract 211.24Census Tract 215.41Census Tract 88Census Tract 209.02Census Tract 211.41Census Tract 206.51Census Tract 210.23Census Tract 208.37Census Tract 213.52Census Tract 215.47Census Tract 206.21Census Tract 118Census Tract 108.10Census Tract 227Census Tract 217.51Census Tract 210.20Census Tract 217.44Census Tract 210.22
38 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 38017ZIP 38016ZIP 38134ZIP 38002ZIP 38125ZIP 38109ZIP 38128ZIP 38111ZIP 38116ZIP 38127ZIP 38118ZIP 38018ZIP 38115ZIP 38135ZIP 38122ZIP 38117ZIP 38053ZIP 38138ZIP 38141ZIP 38119ZIP 38104ZIP 38133ZIP 38106ZIP 38114ZIP 38108ZIP 38112ZIP 38139ZIP 38103ZIP 38107ZIP 38120
Up the hierarchy
All counties in Tennessee
Rankings
Highest income countiesLowest poverty counties

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Shelby County, Tennessee: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy