Shelby is a Democratic stronghold. About 89% of voters here vote Democratic and 11% Republican.
About 64% of adults in Shelby typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shelby, ~57% vote Democratic, ~7% Republican, and ~36% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shelby compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Shelby leans more Democratic than 56 of 57 neighbors.
Shelby runs about 100 points more Democratic than Mississippi as a whole. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Shelby is one of the few Democratic-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Shelby. The south side is the most Democratic-leaning (D+84) and the northwest side is the least Democratic-leaning (D+60), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Shelby leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Shelby, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Shelby votes against the grain of Mississippi. Mississippi leans Republican overall, while Shelby runs about 100 points more Democratic. A high never-married share predicts Democratic voting, and about 58% of adults in Shelby have never been married, in the top fraction of cities.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Shelby, MS sits above the national average on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Shelby looks the way it does
Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Shelby sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Lombardy, MS D+53
- Winstonville, MS D+73
- Mound Bayou, MS D+80
- Duncan, MS D+58
- Perthshire, MS D+49
- Merigold, MS D+24
- Roundaway, MS R+6
- Alligator, MS D+49
- Symonds, MS D+49
- Gunnison, MS D+41
Cities with Similar Populations
- Cottonwood, ID R+63
- Mossyrock, WA R+40
- Marion Center, PA R+65
- Sunriver, OR D+32
- Buchanan Dam, TX R+66
- Three Way, TN R+48
- Gnadenhutten, OH R+58
- Gearhart, OR D+19
- Lynnwood-Pricedale, PA R+28
- Kewadin, MI R+8
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Mississippi Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.