Shelby County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shelby County, OH 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 80% of counties in Ohio
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 83% of counties in Ohio
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shelby County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,929 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 116.6 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,906 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shelby County declined by 1.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,929 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shelby County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,117 21.1% +0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,883 18.5% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,189 21.3% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,502 17.7% -0.4 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 Ohio, 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 49.4% of the people living in Shelby County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 50.6% Ohio 49.2%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Shelby County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,782 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.57% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shelby County is about 3% higher than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Shelby County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $131,785 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $922 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shelby County is about 11.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $922 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shelby County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 136 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shelby County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.3 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.5 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 136 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,202 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.0% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,613 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 695 | 1,212 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Ohio:
Hancock County (15.3 min), Van Wert County (15.5 min), Mercer County (16.0 min).
Slowest:
Morgan County (32.5 min), Vinton County (32.0 min), Brown County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Shelby County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Ohio.
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 | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.4), Warren County (0.4), Greene County (0.3).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.1), Vinton County (0.2), Noble County (0.2).
Health
Shelby County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Shelby County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.8% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.8), Union County (0.8), Warren County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Holmes County (0.8), Scioto County (0.8).
Shelby County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Shelby County, OH is typical in size for this group, 47,929 residents against a local median of 51,593, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Shelby County, OH's median home price, at $131,785, runs 48% above the $89,001 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $275,406 on median home price, so Shelby County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Shelby County, OH has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, OH | 47,929 | $73,782 #3/6 | $131,785 #3/6 | 16.3 min #1/6 |
| Auglaize County, OH | 46,123 | $78,404 | $87,651 | 17.3 min |
| Miami County, OH | 110,296 | $76,958 | $223,077 | 20.1 min |
| Logan County, OH | 46,089 | $71,742 | $89,001 | 18.4 min |
| Allen County, OH | 101,348 | $64,736 | $51,379 | 16.6 min |
| Darke County, OH | 51,593 | $64,114 | $326,785 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shelby County, Ohio.
How big is Shelby County, Ohio by population?
About 47,929 people live in Shelby County, Ohio, in 18,906 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Shelby County, Ohio?
Averaged over its land area, Shelby County, Ohio has 117 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Shelby County, Ohio?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($131,785 against $73,782), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $922 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Shelby County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Shelby County, Ohio is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Shelby County, Ohio?
19.0% of adults in Shelby County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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