Population 11,778 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shelby County
Household size in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.37 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Shelby County run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.37 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.8 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.0 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.4 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.4, Shelby County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has edged down from 44.8, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.5% of households in Shelby County, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Shelby County
Renters in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.2% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.2% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.2% of households in Shelby County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (44.5%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Shelby County than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.2 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1950 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1950 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1951 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Shelby County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the southwest. Shelby County has older homes than the great majority of Iowa counties.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $566 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $631 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $687 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $777 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$212 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shelby County pays $777 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $212 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 29.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Shelby County
Bachelor's degrees in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.7% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.1% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shelby County: 25.1% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 9.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the southwest.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.1% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Shelby County: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 4.4 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Shelby County has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Iowa counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Shelby County has been low: just 3.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Shelby County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 2.41 | 44.4 | 7.5% | 22.2% | 11.9% | 1953 | $777 | 25.1% | 95.5% | 3.1% |
| Audubon County | 2.16 | 47.3 | 7.8% | 23.8% | 8.1% | 1948 | $758 | 21.2% | 92.1% | 1.5% |
| Harrison County | 2.42 | 42.5 | 6.4% | 22.9% | 8.6% | 1958 | $851 | 23.0% | 94.1% | 2.2% |
| Washington County | 2.52 | 43.6 | 7.7% | 16.8% | 4.2% | 1974 | $1,007 | 35.9% | 96.1% | 2.1% |
| Guthrie County | 2.30 | 45.0 | 7.7% | 16.0% | 19.7% | 1962 | $825 | 24.9% | 95.8% | 3.1% |
| Dallas County | 2.59 | 36.9 | 8.1% | 31.0% | 5.9% | 2000 | $1,300 | 52.3% | 95.5% | 2.3% |
| Polk County | 2.51 | 37.0 | 12.0% | 32.6% | 6.9% | 1981 | $1,241 | 40.5% | 91.7% | 5.0% |
| Colfax County | 3.44 | 34.5 | 24.9% | 23.7% | 4.6% | 1968 | $989 | 14.6% | 67.9% | 2.5% |
| Jasper County | 2.44 | 41.6 | 10.4% | 27.7% | 9.6% | 1964 | $870 | 20.3% | 94.1% | 7.2% |
| Boone County | 2.39 | 42.4 | 6.0% | 18.1% | 15.2% | 1956 | $862 | 20.2% | 94.1% | 1.3% |
| Poweshiek County | 2.19 | 41.2 | 7.2% | 28.8% | 11.7% | 1965 | $881 | 28.4% | 94.7% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Greene County, VA · Grant County, AR · Grant County, KS · Grant County, MN · Grant County, ND · Grant County, OK · Grant County, OR · Grant County, SD · Grant County, WV · Gray County, KS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Shelby County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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