Population 321 · 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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.05 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.86 | 2.51 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.98 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.48 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Shelby holds 2.83 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 3.05 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 38.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.8 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Shelby is 37.9 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The picture is much the same across South Dakota.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 22.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 20.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in five households in Shelby (20.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.8% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.8% | 32.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.1% | 32.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.6% | 31.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −18.2 pts | +0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Shelby own their homes; 27.6% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 90.9% have no mortgage at all, well 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
| Period | Shelby | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 10.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Shelby than nationally: 13.4%, 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
| Period | Shelby | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1977 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | −6 | +9 | +6 |
Shelby is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $460 | $631 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $604 | $692 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $643 | $798 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $773 | $1,000 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$313 | +$369 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shelby pays $773 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 21.1% of household income on rent, comfortably 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
Bachelor's degrees in Shelby
| Period | Shelby | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 26.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 27.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 29.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 32.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shelby: 10.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.3% | 89.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.8% | 91.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.2% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 93.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.8 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Shelby have finished high school (91.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in South Dakota as a whole (93.1%).
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 | South Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.6% | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 4.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 3.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −16.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Shelby has been strong: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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 | 2.83 | 37.9 | 20.2% | 27.6% | 13.4% | 1968 | $773 | 10.7% | 91.1% | 2.3% |
| Pukwana | 2.76 | 46.2 | 4.2% | 14.8% | 15.8% | 1964 | $1,039 | 16.5% | 93.5% | 0.3% |
| Gann Valley | 3.28 | 25.8 | 35.6% | 44.2% | 11.4% | 1975 | $543 | 8.5% | 88.2% | 7.6% |
| Chamberlain | 2.63 | 39.6 | 13.5% | 27.6% | 12.4% | 1971 | $882 | 33.6% | 89.8% | 2.9% |
| Lyonville | 2.77 | 46.9 | 4.0% | 14.7% | 16.2% | 1963 | $1,041 | 14.6% | 93.7% | 0.3% |
| Oacoma | 2.65 | 41.4 | 8.9% | 22.2% | 16.0% | 1983 | $893 | 30.5% | 95.2% | 3.2% |
| Fort Thompson | 3.89 | 21.8 | 33.7% | 48.9% | 13.0% | 1977 | $613 | 11.1% | 87.7% | 12.2% |
| Spring Valley Colony | 2.70 | 33.3 | 26.2% | 27.3% | 13.3% | 1966 | $640 | 11.4% | 91.0% | 3.6% |
| Reliance | 2.57 | 42.6 | 7.6% | 22.5% | 17.1% | 1981 | $855 | 30.0% | 95.6% | 3.0% |
| Kimball | 2.29 | 46.0 | 6.5% | 22.3% | 26.5% | 1966 | $843 | 25.8% | 92.9% | 0.1% |
| Lower Brule | 5.18 | 24.2 | 36.8% | 61.4% | 22.2% | 1980 | $542 | 10.5% | 76.6% | 8.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Vigo, AL · Comfort, NC · Concan, TX · Concord, NE · Concord, TX · Corbet, TX · Cordova, NE · Corinne, OK · Corinth, GA · Vanduser, MO
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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