MICROPOLITAN AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Shelby Micro

Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC · 1 counties · 84,714 residents · 464 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Shelby is home to 84,714 people. About 11% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $52,900. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. Median rent is $327 a month. The population has fallen 12% since 2000.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 34.7

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 10%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

84,714

−12%vs 2000

vs 96,287 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Population density

182 / sq mi

−12%vs 2000

vs 207 / sq mi in 2000

Median age

34.7

−5%vs 2000

vs 36.5 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

464 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

2024101K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.7%(5,688)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.6%(5,604)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.7%(5,709)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.7%(6,513)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247.2%(6,079)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.5%(13,161)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.7%(12,467)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.8%(9,980)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.5%(8,024)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.1%(6,888)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.2%(3,571)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.2%(1,030)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$26,476

−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $35,283 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$11,875

−32%vs 2000

vs $17,395 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.0%

−2.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 13.3% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$52,900

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $77,600 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$327

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $447 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

72.8%

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 72.8% in 2000

27.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic76.2%(73,357)

Black20.8%(20,010)

Hispanic / Latino1.5%(1,433)

Asian0.7%(647)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic78.2%(66,235)

Black21%(17,752)

Hispanic / Latino0.3%(280)

Asian0.5%(442)

Other0.3%(285)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican3.1%(3,162)

Central American0.5%(500)

Puerto Rican0.4%(415)

Cuban0.2%(196)

Guatemalan0.2%(168)

Salvadoran0.2%(156)

South American0.2%(154)

Colombian0.1%(124)

Honduran0.1%(116)

Costa Rican0%(44)

Ecuadorian0%(30)

Spaniard0%(21)

+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data

Panamanian0%(16)

Dominican0%(4)

Asian origin

Laotian0.3%(303)

Filipino0.2%(216)

Asian Indian0.1%(150)

Chinese0.1%(110)

Pakistani0.1%(79)

Korean0%(32)

Thai0%(29)

Indonesian0%(25)

Japanese0%(18)

Vietnamese0%(9)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0%(42)

Samoan0%(1)

Ancestry

American20.9%(21,102)

English11.1%(11,247)

German8.2%(8,329)

Irish8.2%(8,262)

Scottish2%(2,019)

Italian1.3%(1,342)

French1.2%(1,243)

Scotch-Irish1.1%(1,120)

Polish0.7%(719)

Subsaharan African0.4%(452)

British0.4%(430)

Welsh0.4%(373)

+ 33 more ancestry groups with data

Dutch0.3%(344)

Swedish0.3%(332)

French Canadian0.3%(278)

West Indian0.3%(259)

Greek0.2%(188)

Canadian0.2%(155)

Hungarian0.1%(139)

Swiss0.1%(127)

Guyanese0.1%(118)

Portuguese0.1%(90)

Slovak0.1%(88)

Norwegian0.1%(73)

Belgian0.1%(68)

Romanian0.1%(68)

Austrian0.1%(65)

Arab0.1%(60)

Russian0.1%(58)

Nigerian0.1%(51)

Jamaican0%(50)

Lithuanian0%(49)

Ukrainian0%(44)

Australian0%(41)

Czech0%(37)

Danish0%(36)

Egyptian0%(33)

Barbadian0%(30)

Croatian0%(26)

Serbian0%(25)

Turkish0%(19)

Jordanian0%(15)

Syrian0%(12)

Finnish0%(9)

Slovene0%(8)

RANKED:Largest American population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

11.1%

−2.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 13.3% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

63.5%

−8.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 72.2% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.5%

−0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 4.3% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

17.8 min

+12%vs 2000

vs 15.9 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married33%(12,986)

Married53.5%(21,063)

Widowed3.5%(1,372)

Divorced10%(3,926)

Women 15+

Never married27.7%(11,897)

Married48.8%(20,972)

Widowed11.3%(4,842)

Divorced12.3%(5,266)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

9.3%

−6.5 ptssince 2013

from 15.8% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

46.0%

−3.3 ptssince 2020

from 49.3% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

13.4%

−3.6 ptssince 2020

from 17.0% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

22.3%

−0.4 ptssince 2020

from 22.7% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

26.5%

+3.5 ptssince 2020

from 23.0% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.8%

−0.6 ptssince 2020

from 3.4% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

58.3%

−2.4 ptssince 2020

from 60.7% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

45.3%

+3.5 ptssince 2020

from 41.8% 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)20%(1,145)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)24%(1,371)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era34.5%(1,971)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War4.6%(265)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0.4%(25)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,720 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

In this metro