Shelby County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48419 Republican

Located in Texas, Shelby County has a population of 24,155 residents and a median age of 39.3 years, making it the #1,695 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.6%. The median home value is $101,500, and the median household income is $49,776, which is 34% below the national median.

24,155
Population
#1,695 of 3,222
$49,776
Median Income
-33.8% #2,782 of 3,222
39.3 years
Median Age
+1.0% #2,323 of 3,222
20.6%
Poverty Rate
+63.4% #2,722 of 3,222

Demographics

Shelby County has a population of 24,155, making it the #1,695 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.6%
Native Born
7.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Shelby County is $49,776, ranking #2,782 out of 3,222 counties — 33.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.6% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.

Income#2,782
$49,776
-33.8%
vs nation
14th percentile
Per Capita#2,737
$27,652
-33.0%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poverty#2,722
20.6%
+63.4%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#1,352
4.1%
-23.2%
vs nation
58th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Shelby County is $101,500 (-64.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $781/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.0%.

Home Value#2,965
$101,500
-64.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Rent#2,258
$781
-32.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Homeownership#1,708
74.0%
+14.9%
vs nation
47th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Shelby County, 15.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.2% below the national average, ranking #2,804 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.1% −55.2% vs nation
Rank #2,804 of 3,222
13th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Shelby County is 71.3 years. 26.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 22.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,658
71.3
-5.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,871
26.4%
+35.0%
vs nation
9th percentile
Diabetes#2,840
14.2%
+27.6%
vs nation
10th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,472
40.6%
+8.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,569
6.2
+9.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,598
5.1
+14.2%
vs nation
17th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,083
22.4%
+114.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,866
33.6%
+27.4%
vs nation
9th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,857
19.1%
+32.6%
vs nation
9th percentile

Substance Use

21.5% of adults in Shelby County smoke , 40.9% are obese , and 18.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,627
21.5%
+19.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,343
40.9%
+7.9%
vs nation
26th percentile
Excessive Drinking#969
18.4%
-7.7%
vs nation
69th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Shelby County is 10.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 37.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,185
10.3
+28.9%
vs nation
23th percentile
Suicide Rate#823
15.4
-22.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,417
17.8
-0.4%
vs nation
43th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,648
37.2
+83.8%
vs nation
6th percentile

Families & Children

24.0% of children in Shelby County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 34.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,090
8.4
+23.1%
vs nation
20th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,594
34.5
+57.8%
vs nation
14th percentile
Child Poverty#2,420
24.0%
+26.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Shelby County is 59.0%. The mean commute time is 26.9 min, which is 2.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.9 min −2.4% vs nation
Rank #1,493 of 3,222
54th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Shelby County voted Republican with a margin of 64.6%. The vote was 17.5% Dem / 82.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +64.6%
17.5% 82.1%
Dem 9,948 votes Rep
2020 REP +58.6%
20.5% 79.1%
Dem 10,084 votes Rep
2016 REP +59.6%
19.4% 79%
Dem 9,072 votes Rep
2012 REP +49.2%
25% 74.2%
Dem 9,261 votes Rep
2008 REP +44.3%
27.6% 71.9%
Dem 9,220 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Shelby County, Texas

Shelby County, Texas has a total population of 24,155, making it the 1,695th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shelby County is 39.3 years, which is 1.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Shelby County is $49,776, which ranks #2,782 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.

The median home value in Shelby County is $101,500, 64.0% below the national median. Renters in Shelby County pay a median gross rent of $781 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Shelby County, 15.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.9 min.

Shelby County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 59.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.9%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (15.1%).

All data for Shelby County, Texas 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.