Shelby County, Ohio
Located in Ohio, Shelby County has a population of 47,929 residents and a median age of 40.3 years, making it the #1,041 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median home value is $208,100, and the median household income is $73,978, which is 2% below the national median.
Demographics
Shelby County has a population of 47,929, making it the #1,041 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% 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 $73,978, ranking #918 out of 3,222 counties — 1.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.6% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shelby County is $208,100 (-26.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $922/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.7%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shelby County, 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.6% below the national average, ranking #1,761 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 74.9 years. 18.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.3% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 37.9% are obese , and 21.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.8 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.9% of children in Shelby County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shelby County is 69.8%. The mean commute time is 21.0 min, which is 23.8% 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 64.8%. The vote was 17.2% Dem / 82% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shelby County, Ohio
Shelby County, Ohio has a total population of 47,929, making it the 1,041st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shelby County is $73,978, which ranks #918 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Shelby County is $208,100, 26.2% below the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $922 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shelby County, 21.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.0 min.
Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.2%).
All data for Shelby County, Ohio 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.