Shelby County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Shelby County has a population of 5,986 residents and a median age of 42.7 years, making it the #2,812 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $99,900, and the median household income is $51,594, which is 31% below the national median.
Demographics
Shelby County has a population of 5,986, making it the #2,812 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% 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 $51,594, ranking #2,685 out of 3,222 counties — 31.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 1.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shelby County is $99,900 (-64.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $625/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shelby County, 18.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.0% below the national average, ranking #2,256 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 75.7 years. 21.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
23.0% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 19.7% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 29.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.6 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
19.1% of children in Shelby County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shelby County is 73.9%. The mean commute time is 22.3 min, which is 19.1% 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 65.6%. The vote was 16.9% Dem / 82.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shelby County, Missouri
Shelby County, Missouri has a total population of 5,986, making it the 2,812th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 42.7 years, which is 9.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shelby County is $51,594, which ranks #2,685 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.8%.
The median home value in Shelby County is $99,900, 64.6% below the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $625 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shelby County, 18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.3 min.
Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.3%).
All data for Shelby County, Missouri 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.