County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Shelby County
- What is the median household income in Shelby County?
- The median household income in Shelby County is $93,543 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Shelby County?
- The poverty rate in Shelby County is 4.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Shelby County?
- $298,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Shelby County?
- The median gross rent in Shelby County is $1,348 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Shelby County residents have a college degree?
- 46.2% of adults in Shelby County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
226,955
Median Income
$93,543
Median Home Value
$298,700
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
2.9%
Median Age
40.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$15,744 (+20.2%)
Home Value:
+$86,800 (+41%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.2 pp (+4.7%)
Bachelor's+:
+3.3 pp (+7.7%)
Unemployment:
-0.7 pp (-19.4%)
Demographics
Total Population
226,955
Median Age
40.0
Female
51.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
White (non-Hisp.) 74.0%
Black 13.2%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 5.0%
Other 3.0%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
0.5%
Chinese
0.5%
Vietnamese
0.5%
Filipino
0.2%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
4.2%
Puerto Rican
0.6%
Cuban
0.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$93,543
±$3,051
+$31,516 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$123,938
Median Family Income
$115,789
Poverty Rate
4.5%
-6.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
6.4%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
4.9%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
25.4%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.0%
$10–15k
1.9%
$15–25k
4.0%
$25–35k
5.8%
$35–50k
8.4%
$50–75k
15.6%
$75–100k
13.1%
$100–150k
20.6%
$150–200k
11.3%
$200k+
15.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
90,805
Owner-Occupied
81.3%
Renter-Occupied
18.7%
Vacancy Rate
5.9%
Median Home Value
$298,700
+$103,600 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,348
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
14.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
39.8%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.7%
$50–100k
2.9%
$100–200k
5.3%
$200–300k
27.7%
$300–500k
32.3%
$500k–$1M
15.5%
$1M+
1.9%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
2.7%
$500–1k
18.5%
$1–1.5k
43.0%
$1.5–2k
24.6%
$2–2.5k
9.3%
$2.5–3.5k
1.0%
$3.5k+
0.8%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
2.6%
1 vehicle
25.4%
2 vehicles
42.9%
3+
29.1%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
76.4%
Single-fam. att.
5.0%
2–4 units
0.5%
5–19 units
2.6%
20+ units
2.7%
Mobile home
7.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
1.2%
1940–1969
0.9%
1970–1999
10.2%
2000–2009
26.7%
2010+
14.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
94.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
46.2%
+18.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
16.1%
Some College / Associate
19.4%
Less Than High School
2.0%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
65.7%
Unemployment Rate
2.9%
-1.9 pp vs. state
Work from Home
15.2%
Self-Employed
4.9%
Government Workers
13.6%
Private For-Profit
81.1%
Industry
Edu/Health
23.0%
Finance
11.0%
Prof. Services
10.9%
Retail
10.8%
Manufacturing
7.9%
Construction
7.3%
Arts/Entmt.
7.3%
Transportation
5.7%
Public Admin
4.0%
Wholesale
4.0%
Information
1.7%
Agriculture
0.8%
Occupation
Management
48.4%
Sales
21.3%
Food Prep
12.8%
Production
9.7%
Construction
7.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
29.7 min
Drove Alone
76.7%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
15.2%
Walked
0.6%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
85,414
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
59.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
23.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.4%
5–9
6.2%
10–14
7.1%
15–19
6.9%
20–24
5.9%
25–34
12.1%
35–44
13.6%
45–54
13.8%
55–64
6.7%
65–74
6.0%
75–84
10.0%
85+
4.9%
Under 18: 23.0%
Working age (18–64): 77.0%
65 and over: 16.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
5.6%
Naturalized Citizen
47.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.9%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
49.3%
Asia
31.4%
Europe
10.2%
Africa
4.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
6.3%
With a Disability
11.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
93.3%
Uninsured
6.7%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
93.6%
Has a Computer
96.8%
Same House 1 Year Ago
87.8%
Moved from Abroad
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Shelby County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Shelby County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 2,889 | 5,207 |
| Other flows - South | 1,181 | 2,155 |
| Other flows - West | 261 | 515 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 236 | 471 |
| Chilton County | 228 | 465 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 212 | 370 |
| St. Clair County | 195 | 341 |
| Talladega County | 158 | 300 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 135 | 223 |
| Montgomery County | 109 | 194 |