Population 20,720 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shelby County
Household size in Shelby County
| Period | Shelby County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Shelby County is a place of small households, averaging 2.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.43 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.0 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.8, 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 climbed from 43.0, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the north.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Shelby County than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Illinois. The single-parent share is up 3.0 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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.3% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.6% 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. About half of owners (51.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.1 points, mirroring the country.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Shelby County than nationally: 12.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +6 |
Shelby County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $691 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $628 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $733 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $804 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$113 | +$475 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Shelby County costs $804 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $113 a month from 2006–10, a 16% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 20.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.7% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Shelby County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.5 points, mirroring the country.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.2% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.3% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Shelby County: 94.9% 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 6.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only four of Illinois' 102 counties have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Shelby County has been low: just 3.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.34 | 44.8 | 10.4% | 21.6% | 12.3% | 1966 | $804 | 18.5% | 94.9% | 3.2% |
| Cumberland County | 2.48 | 44.5 | 7.0% | 15.8% | 10.2% | 1970 | $847 | 19.1% | 94.2% | 1.4% |
| Coles County | 2.11 | 40.6 | 11.3% | 39.6% | 10.2% | 1969 | $806 | 28.4% | 91.4% | 5.7% |
| Clark County | 2.36 | 43.1 | 13.9% | 19.7% | 12.1% | 1970 | $886 | 25.1% | 92.6% | 3.5% |
| Vigo County | 2.38 | 37.3 | 13.2% | 38.3% | 11.6% | 1970 | $961 | 27.4% | 90.9% | 5.8% |
| Greene County | 2.62 | 43.5 | 10.1% | 21.8% | 22.8% | 1958 | $797 | 18.4% | 91.4% | 4.9% |
| Clay County | 2.54 | 42.0 | 12.4% | 19.1% | 10.8% | 1974 | $931 | 20.2% | 90.4% | 3.4% |
| Owen County | 2.51 | 44.9 | 10.4% | 18.6% | 12.5% | 1982 | $854 | 16.7% | 87.7% | 2.9% |
| Pike County | 2.56 | 39.4 | 14.5% | 26.7% | 15.3% | 1972 | $786 | 17.5% | 87.8% | 3.8% |
| Brown County | 2.36 | 49.1 | 6.5% | 13.4% | 18.9% | 1984 | $975 | 26.2% | 94.4% | 2.2% |
| Bartholomew County | 2.53 | 39.2 | 10.7% | 30.7% | 7.6% | 1981 | $1,154 | 33.4% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Grand County, CO · White County, IL · White County, IN · White County, TN · Wilbarger County, TX · Willacy County, TX · Williamsburg City, VA · Winn Parish, LA · Winneshiek County, IA · Grenada County, MS
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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