Shelby County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Shelby County has a population of 49,096 residents and a median age of 40.9 years, making it the #1,024 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.7%. The median home value is $304,800, and the median household income is $82,604, which is 10% above the national median.
Demographics
Shelby County has a population of 49,096, making it the #1,024 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% 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 $82,604, ranking #492 out of 3,222 counties — 9.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.7% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shelby County is $304,800 (+8.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,033/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shelby County, 32.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.6% below the national average, ranking #582 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 76.2 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.7% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 36.1% are obese , and 16.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 40.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Shelby County is 4.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.5% of children in Shelby County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shelby County is 66.8%. The mean commute time is 29.5 min, which is 7.0% above 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 34.7%. The vote was 31.8% Dem / 66.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shelby County, Kentucky
Shelby County, Kentucky has a total population of 49,096, making it the 1,024th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shelby County is $82,604, which ranks #492 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.
The median home value in Shelby County is $304,800, 8.1% above the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $1,033 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shelby County, 32.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.5 min.
Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 77.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.0%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
All data for Shelby County, Kentucky 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.