Shelby, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

21,868

0.718% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

41.2

5.07% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

18.2%

0.413% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$50,705

9.81% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$185,400

22.1% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

9,446

0.532% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Shelby, NC had a population of 21.9k people with a median age of 41.2 and a median household income of $50,705. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Shelby, NC grew from 21,712 to 21,868, a 0.718% increase and its median household income grew from $46,176 to $50,705, a 9.81% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Shelby, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (52.7%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (32.3%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (8.57%), White (Hispanic) (2.57%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.05%).

None of the households in Shelby, NC 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% of the residents in Shelby, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Shelby, NC are Cleveland Community College (736 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Shelby, NC was $185,400, and the homeownership rate was 59.1%.

Most people in Shelby, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Shelby, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Cleveland County, NC Shelby, NC Rutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC Lincoln & Cleveland (East) Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Shelby, NC is home to a population of 21.9k people, from which 99% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.89% of Shelby, NC residents were born outside of the country (632 people).

In 2023, there were 1.63 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.5k people) in Shelby, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.07k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.88k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99%

2023 Citizenship

98.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99% of Shelby, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Shelby, NC was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Shelby, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.5k ± 849
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.07k ± 926
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.88k ± 783

4.74%

Hispanic Population

1.04k people

4.74% of the people in Shelby, NC are hispanic (1.04k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Shelby, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

2.89%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

632 people

3.32%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

721 people

As of 2023, 2.89% of Shelby, NC residents (632 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Shelby, NC was 3.32%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
655 ± 308
Gulf War (1990s)
310 ± 157
Gulf War (2001-)
183 ± 115

Shelby, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.11 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Shelby, NC employs 9.45k people. The largest industries in Shelby, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,766 people), Manufacturing (1,577 people), and Retail Trade (1,519 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($170,594), Finance & Insurance ($85,721), and Utilities ($85,134).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

9.45k

2023 Value

± 929

0.532%

1 Year growth

± 13.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Shelby, NC grew at a rate of 0.532%, from 9.4k employees to 9.45k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Shelby, NC, are Production Occupations (1,341 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,105 people), and Management Occupations (975 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Shelby, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.45k

2023 Value

± 929

0.532%

1 Year growth

± 13.6%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Shelby, NC grew at a rate of 0.532%, from 9.4k employees to 9.45k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Shelby, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,766 people), Manufacturing (1,577 people), and Retail Trade (1,519 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Shelby, NC, though some of these residents may live in Shelby, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,488

Median earning men ± $9,238

$35,836

Median earning women ± $4,518

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($170,594), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($87,163), and Wholesale Trade ($54,091).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($52,614), Manufacturing ($50,179), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,690).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 10.9%.

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Shelby, NC awarded 736 degrees. The student population of Shelby, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 685 male students and 1,205 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Shelby, NC are White (520 and 70.7%), followed by Black or African American (113 and 15.4%), Hispanic or Latino (57 and 7.74%), and Unknown (20 and 2.72%).

The largest universities in Shelby, NC by number of degrees awarded are Cleveland Community College (736 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Shelby, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (248 and 33.7%), Early Childhood Education & Teaching (39 and 5.3%), and HVAC Maintenance (34 and 4.62%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,890 students enrolled in Shelby, NC, 36.2% men and 63.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,323 records, of which 62.6% were women and 37.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
248 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
24 degrees awarded
Fire Prevention & Safety Technology
15 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Shelby, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 248 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Shelby, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Cleveland Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

736 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cleveland Community College with 736 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 281 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Shelby, NC, which is 0.618 times less than the 455 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 520 degrees mean that there were 4.6 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 113 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,432) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($170) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Shelby, NC was $185,400 in 2023, which is 0.611 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $151,900 to $185,400, a 22.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Shelby, NC is 59.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Shelby, NC have an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Shelby, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Shelby, NC is $50,705. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Shelby, NC was Census Tract 9515.03 with a value of $70,377, followed by Census Tract 9510 and Census Tract 9508, with respective values of $66,484 and $63,676.

Housing

Property

$185,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$10,108

$5,424

Median Property Taxes

±$691

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, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

59.1%

Homeownership

2023

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 59.1% of the housing units in Shelby, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 60.5%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9515.03
Census Tract 9510
Census Tract 9508

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Shelby, NC was Census Tract 9515.03 with a value of $70,377, followed by Census Tract 9510 and Census Tract 9508, with respective values of $66,484 and $63,676.

The following map shows all of the places in Shelby, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$50,705

Median Household Income

± $6,471

9.18k

Number of Households

± 861

In 2023, the median household income of the 9.18k households in Shelby, NC grew to $50,705 from the previous year's value of $46,176.

The following chart displays the households in Shelby, NC 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Shelby, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (79.3%)
Worked At Home (9.71%)
Carpooled (9.57%)

In 2023, 79.3% of workers in Shelby, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.71%) and those who carpooled to work (9.57%).

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

21.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Shelby, NC have a shorter commute time (21.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.04% of the workforce in Shelby, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Shelby, NC (3.92k out of 21.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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.

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.

Health

92.2% of the population of Shelby, NC has health coverage, with 35.4% on employee plans, 27.1% on Medicaid, 15.8% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 2.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cleveland County, NC see 2153 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.49% increase from the previous year (2041 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2182 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 665 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Cleveland County, NC.

2,153 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cleveland County, NC

Primary care physicians in Cleveland County, NC see an average of 2,153 patients per year. This represents a 5.49% increase from the previous year (2,041 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.4% under 18 years, 17.5% between 18 and 34 years, 35.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.8% were men and 54.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.8%

Uninsured

35.4%

Employer Coverage

27.1%

Medicaid

15.8%

Medicare

11.7%

Non-Group

2.22%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Shelby, NC declined by 13.2% from 8.99% to 7.8%.

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

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