Shelby County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shelby County, MO Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 74% of counties in Missouri
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,986 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 11.9 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.33% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,391 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shelby County declined by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,986 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shelby County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.2% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,107 18.5% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,053 17.6% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,191 19.9% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,266 21.2% +3.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Missouri, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Shelby County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 50.1% Missouri 49.3%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Shelby County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Shelby County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,143 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.91% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shelby County is about 26% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $72,692 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $624 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shelby County is about 9.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $625 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shelby County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 127 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.3 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.6 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 127 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,947 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,305 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 155 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Shelby County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Shelby County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Shelby County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Shelby County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.1% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Shelby County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Shelby County, MO compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, MO | 5,986 | $52,143 #2/2 | $72,692 #2/2 | 15.3 min #2/2 |
| Marion County, MO | 28,457 | $63,331 | $79,047 | 13.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shelby County, Missouri.
What is the population of Shelby County, Missouri?
About 5,986 people live in Shelby County, Missouri, in 2,391 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Shelby County, Missouri?
Averaged over its land area, Shelby County, Missouri has 12 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 14% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Shelby County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($72,692 against $52,143), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $625 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Shelby County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Shelby County, Missouri is only 1.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Shelby County, Missouri have a college degree?
16.2% of adults in Shelby County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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