Shelby County, Tennessee
Located in Tennessee, Shelby County has a population of 919,173 residents and a median age of 35.9 years, making it the #62 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.8%. The median home value is $249,100, and the median household income is $63,767, which is 15% below the national median.
Demographics
Shelby County has a population of 919,173, making it the #62 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below 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 $63,767, ranking #1,724 out of 3,222 counties — 15.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.8% and unemployment stands at 7.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shelby County is $249,100 (-11.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,232/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shelby County, 34.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 1.7% above the national average, ranking #504 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shelby County is 71.8 years. 22.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.4% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 42.6% are obese , and 17.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Shelby County is 28.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
28.1% of children in Shelby County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 30.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shelby County is 57.1%. The mean commute time is 24.5 min, which is 11.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Shelby County voted Democratic with a margin of 25.4%. The vote was 61.8% Dem / 36.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County, Tennessee has a total population of 919,173, making it the 62nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 35.9 years, which is 7.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shelby County is $63,767, which ranks #1,724 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 15.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.2%.
The median home value in Shelby County is $249,100, 11.6% below the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $1,232 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shelby County, 34.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.5 min.
Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 52.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (32.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.8%).
All data for Shelby County, Tennessee 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.