Shelby County, Alabama

County in AL, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

230,211

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

40.3

years ∙ half population younger than 40.3, half older

Diversity Index

43.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

5.5%

foreign-born population

94.5%Native

5.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Shelby County is a county in Alabama, United States.

Location

County in AL, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.266893° N, 86.661007° W

DMS33° 16′ 00.81″ N, 86° 39′ 39.63″ W

Population Density & area

293.1/sq mi (113.2/km²)

Total Area

809.5 sq mi (2,096.6 km²)

Land Area

785.5 sq mi (2,034.3 km²) · 97%

Water Area

24 sq mi (62.3 km²) · 3%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.7% male

Male 48.7%

Female 51.3%

males per 100 females

Shelby County 95

Alabama 94.4

United States 98

Nativity

5.5%

foreign-born population

94.5%Native

5.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Shelby County 5.5%

Alabama 4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

40.3

years ∙ half population younger than 40.3, half older

Shelby County

40.3

Alabama

39.3

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

65.5

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Shelby County 65.5

Alabama 66.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.8%	22.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.4%	60%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	16.8%	17.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	65.5	66.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	37.7	37.1	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	27.9	29.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

73.2%

Black

13.4%

Asian

2.2%

Hispanic

7.6%

Other

3.6%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

43.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Shelby County 43.9%

Alabama 52.8%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Shelby County population

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Hispanic or Latino	7.6%	5.6%	19.3%
Mexican	4.5%	3.2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	0.5%	1.8%
Cuban	0.3%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.1%	1.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	92.4%	94.4%	80.7%
One race	89.4%	91.1%	76.4%
White	73.2%	63.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	13.4%	25.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	2.2%	1.4%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3%	3.3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

72.7% family

Family 72.7%

Non family 27.3%

% family households

Shelby County 72.7%

Alabama 64.5%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.61

persons per household

Shelby County

2.61

Alabama

2.48

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Shelby County population

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Total households	86,866	1,997,247	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.61	2.48	2.53
Family households	63,167	1,287,290	82,990,528
Average family size	3.1	3.11	3.14
Married couple family	52,262	920,332	60,637,388
Other families	10,905	366,958	22,353,140
Male householder	3,141	87,023	6,572,819
Female householder	7,764	279,935	15,780,321
Non-family households	23,699	709,957	46,236,968
One-person households	20,419	615,375	37,140,836
Male householder	8,069	273,110	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,658	84,581	5,225,110
Female householder	12,350	342,265	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	6,096	170,988	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	3,280	94,582	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

91,995

housing units

Shelby County 91,995

Alabama 2,337,265

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

94.4% occupied

Occupied 94.4%

Vacant 5.6%

vacancy rate

Shelby County 5.6%

Alabama 14.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

81.8%

Single family houses

81.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

10.7%

Mobile homes

7.4%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1998

Half of houses were built before 1998, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

1.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

5.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

48.9%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

44%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.6	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	5%	8.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	44%	54.5%	51.6%
7+ rooms	51%	36.9%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.6%	1.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	3.7%	6.3%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	14.4%	21.6%	25%
3 bedrooms	43.8%	48.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	37.5%	22.4%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1998	1987	1981
Total housing units	91,995	2,337,265	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

81.4% owners

Renter-occupied 18.6%

Owner-occupied 81.4%

homeownership rate

Shelby County 81.4%

Alabama 70.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.67

Owner-occupied

2.32

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Shelby County 2.67

Alabama 2.57

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Total occupied units	86,866	1,997,247	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.3%	23.9%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	41.1%	38.3%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	19.7%	16.7%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	14.9%	21.1%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99%	98.3%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.2%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.1%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.5%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	25.4%	31.6%	33.1%
2 vehicles	43.1%	36.6%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.1%	26.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	43.5%	31%	51.4%
Electricity	55.7%	67.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	0.3%	0.8%	2%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.6%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.7%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$326,100

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Shelby County

$326,100

Alabama

$209,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

19.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

19.7%

Owners without a mortgage

8.7%

Renters

47.1%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Property value
Median Value	$326,100	$209,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	6.3%	22.3%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	12.8%	25.2%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	25.1%	21.7%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	36.2%	20.8%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	17.6%	8.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2%	1.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	68%	54.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	32%	45.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,734	$1,433	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$556	$447	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,401	$1,007	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

46.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Shelby County 46.8%

Alabama 28.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Shelby County 5.4%

Alabama 11.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

55,886

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.4%

K–12

72.1%

College / Undergraduate

17.4%

Graduate / Professional

5.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

41.8%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Shelby County

41.8%

Alabama

42.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	55,886	1,213,681	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.4%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	72.1%	67.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.2%	5.1%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.8%	19.8%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.6%	21.1%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	24.5%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	22.5%	26.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	17.4%	21.4%	21%
Graduate, professional school	5.2%	5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	41.8%	42.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	80.7%	83.6%	82%
Private school	19.3%	16.4%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

158,564

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.6%

HS graduate

20.4%

Some college no degree

19.3%

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

30.7%

Graduate or professional degree

16.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

58.1% · 41.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

56.1% · 43.9%

HS graduate

49.7% · 50.3%

Some college no degree

46.8% · 53.2%

Associates degree

42% · 58%

Bachelors degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Graduate or professional degree

44.7% · 55.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Population (25+)	158,564	3,473,706	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1.8%	3.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.6%	7.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	20.4%	30.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.3%	20.8%	19.1%
Associate's degree	8%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	46.8%	28.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	30.7%	17.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	16.1%	11.1%	14.1%
High School or higher	94.5%	88.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$60,085

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$34,509

HS graduate

$45,895

Some college or associates

$51,544

Bachelors degree

$71,024

Graduate or professional degree

$85,375

Poverty Rate

2.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

20.5%

HS graduate

11.6%

Some college or associates

6.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Shelby County	Alabama	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$60,085	$46,831	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$34,509	$30,696	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$45,895	$37,156	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$51,544	$43,231	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$71,024	$61,115	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$85,375	$75,030	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	20.5%	28.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11.6%	16.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	6.3%	11.4%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.7%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Shelby County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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