Shelby County, MO

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

5,986

US Senator

Josh Hawley

Republican Party

US Senator

Eric Schmitt

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.7

2.06% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

15.9%

1.99% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$51,594

1.02% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$99,900

15.9% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,555

4.41% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Shelby County, MO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.1% of the residents in Shelby County, MO are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Shelby County, MO was $99,900, and the homeownership rate was 77.5%.

Most people in Shelby County, MO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Shelby County, MO was 2 cars per household.

Shelby County, MO borders Knox County, MO, Lewis County, MO, Macon County, MO, Marion County, MO, and Monroe County, MO.

United States Missouri

Population & Diversity

Shelby County, MO is home to a population of 5.99k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.27% of Shelby County, MO residents were born outside of the country (76 people).

In 2024, there were 48.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.61k people) in Shelby County, MO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 116 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 68 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2024 Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Shelby County, MO residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Shelby County, MO was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Shelby County, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Shelby County, MO

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.61k ± 30
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
116 ± 32
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
68 ± 48

2.32%

Hispanic Population

139 people

2.32% of the people in Shelby County, MO are hispanic (139 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Shelby County, MO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Missouri.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
41,951 ± 5,011 people
India
23,410 ± 3,749 people
China
17,257 ± 3,221 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Missouri was Mexico, the natal country of 41,951 Missouri residents, followed by India with 23,410 and China with 17,257.

Foreign-Born Population

1.27%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

76 people

1.78%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

107 people

As of 2024, 1.27% of Shelby County, MO residents (76 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Shelby County, MO was 1.78%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Shelby County, MO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
174 ± 55
Gulf War (1990s)
67 ± 47
Gulf War (2001-)
45 ± 29

Shelby County, MO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.6 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Shelby County, MO.

Economy

The economy of Shelby County, MO employs 2.56k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Shelby County, MO were Health Care & Social Assistance (364 people), Manufacturing (293 people), and Construction (253 people), and the highest paying industries were Construction ($70,078), Transportation & Warehousing ($56,111), and Manufacturing ($52,344).

Employment

Occupations

2.56k

2024 Value

± 219

−4.41%

1 Year decline

± 12.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Shelby County, MO declined at a rate of −4.41%, from 2.67k employees to 2.56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Shelby County, MO, are Management Occupations (334 people), Production Occupations (233 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (209 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Shelby County, MO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Missouri (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.56k

2024 Value

± 219

−4.41%

1 Year decline

± 12.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Shelby County, MO declined at a rate of −4.41%, from 2.67k employees to 2.56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Shelby County, MO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (364 people), Manufacturing (293 people), and Construction (253 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Shelby County, MO, though some of these residents may live in Shelby County, MO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,495

Median earning men ± $4,379

$34,506

Median earning women ± $2,386

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Construction ($71,328), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,769), and Manufacturing ($56,667).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($55,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,917), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($40,560).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Y-Axis

2.17%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.94M people employed in Missouri. This represents a 2.17% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Missouri.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

25
Other Services (except Public Administration)
14
Retail Trade
12
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$13.7k
Manufacturing
$11.8k
Finance and Insurance
$4.05k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing the state of Missouri. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Missouri is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Shelby County, MO. Showing the available data for Missouri.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.1%)
Democratic Party
Chase Oliver (0.797%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Missouri went to Donald J. Trump with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.1%), followed by Chase Oliver (0.797%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Missouri for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Missouri

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Missouri.

Josh Hawley

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Eric Schmitt

Senator from Missouri

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt are the senators currently representing Missouri.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Missouri over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Shelby County, MO was $99,900 in 2024, which is 0.3 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $86,200 to $99,900, a 15.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Shelby County, MO is 77.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Shelby County, MO have an average commute time of 21.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Shelby County, MO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.51% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Shelby County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.511%.

Housing

Property

$99,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,404

$1,853

Median Property Taxes

±$166

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Shelby County, MO the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Shelby County, MO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

77.5%

Homeownership

2024

67.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.5% of the housing units in Shelby County, MO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Shelby County, MO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$51,594

Median Household Income

± $5,271

2.39k

Number of Households

± 198

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.39k households in Shelby County, MO declined from $51,594 from the previous year's value of $52,127.

The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, MO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Shelby County, MO is from Missouri.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Missouri

0.455

2022 Wage GINI in Missouri

In 2023, the income inequality in Missouri was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.848% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Missouri was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Missouri in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Missouri across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.2%)
Walked (7.32%)
Worked At Home (6.56%)

In 2024, 79.2% of workers in Shelby County, MO drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (7.32%) and those who worked at home (6.56%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Shelby County, MO have a shorter commute time (21.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.23% of the workforce in Shelby County, MO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Shelby County, MO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Shelby County, MO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Shelby County, MO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.51% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Shelby County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.511%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

15.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Shelby County, MO (915 out of 5.75k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Shelby County, MO is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 19.1% of the children was living in poverty in Shelby County, MO. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.2%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 57.3 in Shelby County, MO. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 41.9 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.4% of the population of Shelby County, MO has health coverage, with 42.6% on employee plans, 18.5% on Medicaid, 14.7% on Medicare, 10.7% on non-group plans, and 2.97% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Shelby County, MO see 5,976 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,976 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2991 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 5931 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

5,976 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Shelby County, MO

Primary care physicians in Shelby County, MO see an average of 5,976 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (5,976 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Shelby County, MO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.3% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 36.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.9% were men and 49.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

42.6%

Employer Coverage

18.5%

Medicaid

14.7%

Medicare

10.7%

Non-Group

2.97%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Shelby County, MO grew by 5.24% from 10% to 10.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Shelby County, MO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.