Population 47,615 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Shelby
Household size in Shelby
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Shelby has 2.52 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across North Carolina. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.4 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Shelby are younger than 41.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.1, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Shelby: 16.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 30 have a higher share of single-parent households.
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
Renters in Shelby
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.2% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Shelby is about as common as it is nationally: 34.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 43.3% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Shelby has a higher share of renters than at least four in five North Carolina cities.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Shelby: 13.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. 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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Shelby are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have older homes.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $660 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $704 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $955 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$295 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Shelby runs $955 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $295 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.7% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the north.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Shelby
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.5% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Shelby have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the north.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.5% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.7% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.2% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Shelby have finished high school as nationally: 88.9%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 8.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Shelby | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Shelby runs below the national rate: 4.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 8.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 2.52 | 41.3 | 16.3% | 34.2% | 13.3% | 1976 | $955 | 23.3% | 88.9% | 4.6% |
| Patterson Springs | 2.76 | 40.2 | 9.5% | 26.1% | 24.0% | 1978 | $1,030 | 23.2% | 91.5% | 4.8% |
| Earl | 2.67 | 39.3 | 18.2% | 24.0% | 24.1% | 1986 | $1,001 | 19.1% | 92.6% | 6.9% |
| Kingstown | 3.06 | 41.6 | 16.0% | 20.8% | 5.1% | 1980 | $1,040 | 13.4% | 89.1% | 8.2% |
| Lattimore | 2.84 | 33.2 | 2.8% | 21.2% | 6.7% | 1977 | $842 | 17.2% | 88.1% | 0.5% |
| Boiling Springs | 2.76 | 30.2 | 6.6% | 26.5% | 9.0% | 1989 | $1,019 | 32.9% | 92.5% | 5.9% |
| Washburn | 1.99 | 52.9 | 13.5% | 24.2% | 17.0% | 1984 | $846 | 29.8% | 84.6% | 15.4% |
| Grover | 2.77 | 42.1 | 11.5% | 25.0% | 14.0% | 1984 | $955 | 18.3% | 87.2% | 8.4% |
| Waco | 2.58 | 41.5 | 14.4% | 30.4% | 16.2% | 1985 | $1,044 | 11.8% | 79.8% | 3.6% |
| Kings Mountain | 2.73 | 41.2 | 14.0% | 25.9% | 9.5% | 1984 | $1,010 | 18.2% | 86.2% | 5.9% |
| Cherryville | 2.55 | 44.3 | 12.4% | 25.8% | 12.7% | 1978 | $965 | 19.7% | 87.0% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Taylors, SC · Del Rio, TX · Elizabethtown, KY · Fairfield, OH · West Orange, NJ · Valley Village, CA · Urbandale, IA · Nacogdoches, TX · Toa Alta, PR · Thomasville, NC
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. 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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