Shelby County, Alabama Income Statistics
Shelby County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
Shelby County Around averageWealthiest county in Alabama
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Shelby County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $98,402 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $65,600 | $52,756 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 3.9% | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 16.9% | 9.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 16.3% | 7.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Shelby County is about 52% higher than in Alabama. Income has been growing slower in Shelby County (3.9%/yr) than in Alabama (4.7%/yr).
About 17% of adults in Shelby County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the Alabama average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Shelby County, Alabama grew by 45.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $98,402 in 2024. That's an average of about 3.9% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Shelby County
| Metric | Shelby County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.531 | 0.560 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $78,546 | $62,840 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $59,771 | $47,036 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 23.9% | 25.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Shelby County, it is 0.531, lower than Alabama's 0.560, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 31% more than women's income in Shelby County, Alabama. Over a 35-year career, a 31% wage gap accumulates to roughly $657,125 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Shelby County, Alabama has narrowed from about 27% to 24% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2014, and was narrowest at 24% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,453 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Shelby County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 16.9% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 3,497 people are unemployed in Shelby County, Alabama.
The average commute time in Shelby County is 30 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Shelby County, Alabama has fallen from 6.5% to 2.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 6.5% in 2013.
Shelby County, AL Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Shelby County, AL is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 230,211 residents against a local median of 45,992. The measure that sets Shelby County, AL apart most is median household income: $98,402, 73% above the local median of $56,834. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 2.9% against a local median of 6.2%, 54% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Shelby County, AL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within $14,672 of each other on median household income, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Shelby County, AL, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Shelby County, AL has the highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, AL | 230,211 | $98,402 #1/6 | 3.9%/yr #5/6 | 2.9% #1/6 | 0.531 #1/6 |
| Jefferson County, AL | 666,272 | $66,976 | 4.4%/yr | 4.7% | 0.554 |
| Chilton County, AL | 45,992 | $65,076 | 5.6%/yr | 5.5% | 0.533 |
| Talladega County, AL | 81,021 | $56,834 | 5.3%/yr | 6.8% | 0.551 |
| Coosa County, AL | 10,300 | $55,768 | 7.1%/yr | 6.2% | 0.531 |
| Bibb County, AL | 22,130 | $52,304 | 3.6%/yr | 12.1% | 0.569 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Shelby County, Alabama has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it notably better than Alabama, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Shelby County, Alabama.
How Rich Is Shelby County, Alabama?
Shelby County has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $98,402, about 52% higher than the Alabama average of $64,544.
Are incomes growing in Shelby County, Alabama?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Shelby County, Alabama rose 46%, from $67,512 to $98,402. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Alabama as a whole: +46% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Shelby County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Shelby County, Alabama was $94,606, up 3% from $91,474 in 2022. The Alabama median that year was $62,326.
What was the median household income in Shelby County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Shelby County, Alabama was $79,334. By 2024 it had risen 24% to $98,402.
Is Shelby County, Alabama a high-income area?
Yes. 17% of adults in Shelby County, Alabama earn $100,000 or more a year (about 1 in 6), against 10% (about 1 in 10) in Alabama. 16% of households have a combined income of $200,000 or more, compared with 8% in Alabama.
Is unemployment high in Shelby County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Shelby County, Alabama is only 2.9%, well below the Alabama rate of 4.7%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Shelby County, Alabama?
The Gini coefficient in Shelby County is 0.531. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Shelby County, Alabama?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Shelby County, Alabama has narrowed from about 27% to 24% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2014, and was narrowest at 24% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,453 since 2009.
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