Shelby County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Shelby County has a population of 20,720 residents and a median age of 45.3 years, making it the #1,839 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.2%. The median home value is $137,100, and the median household income is $72,095, which is 4% below the national median.
Demographics
Shelby County has a population of 20,720, making it the #1,839 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Shelby County is $72,095, ranking #1,043 out of 3,222 counties — 4.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.2% and unemployment stands at 3.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shelby County is $137,100 (-51.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $814/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shelby County, 18.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.6% below the national average, ranking #2,299 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 77.1 years. 19.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.7% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 37.2% are obese , and 22.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 13.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.1% of children in Shelby County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shelby County is 71.6%. The mean commute time is 22.9 min, which is 17.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Shelby County voted Republican with a margin of 60.2%. The vote was 19.2% Dem / 79.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shelby County, Illinois
Shelby County, Illinois has a total population of 20,720, making it the 1,839th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shelby County is $72,095, which ranks #1,043 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.0%.
The median home value in Shelby County is $137,100, 51.4% below the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $814 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shelby County, 18.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.9 min.
Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.2%).
All data for Shelby County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.