Demographics of Shelby County, Missouri

Shelby County, Missouri had 5,870 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −220 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Shelby County, in four figures

5,870
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −3.6%
Change since July 2020: −220 people.; 42.7 ±1.2
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $51,594 ±$5,271
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Shelby County, Missouri's population shrank 3.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Shelby County, Missouri's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Shelby County, Missouri's population shrank 3.6% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Shelby County, Missouri's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	6,090	100.0	100.0
2021	5,969	98.0	100.2
2022	5,998	98.5	100.7
2023	5,942	97.6	101.6
2024	5,986	98.3	102.5
2025	5,870	96.4	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Shelby County, Missouri on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	6,090	−15	−13	0	−4
2021	5,969	−121	−26	+1	−91
2022	5,998	+29	−30	+6	+55
2023	5,942	−56	−14	+2	−44
2024	5,986	+44	+3	+12	+30
2025	5,870	−116	+2	+9	−124

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 42.7 ±1.2: for men 40.5 ±1.5 and for women 44.0 ±0.7. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Shelby County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Under 5	373 ±30	6.2% ±0.5	5.8% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	1,061 ±96	17.7% ±1.6	16.6% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	438 ±87	7.3% ±1.5	9.1% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	1,350 ±107	22.6% ±1.8	26.0% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	1,432 ±108	23.9% ±1.8	24.6% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	1,332 ±130	22.3% ±2.2	17.9% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $51,594 ±$5,271, and income per person $29,637 ±$2,939, in 2024 dollars. The median is $70,702 ±$325 in Missouri and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Shelby County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Missouri	United States
Under $25,000	471 ±87	19.7% ±3.5	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	699 ±109	29.2% ±4.4	19.6% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	373 ±76	15.6% ±3.1	17.4% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	358 ±77	15.0% ±3.1	13.2% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	301 ±68	12.6% ±2.8	17.1% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	109 ±42	4.6% ±1.7	8.2% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	39 to 121	1.6% to 5.1%	8.7% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Shelby County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Missouri	United States
All ages	915 ±207	15.9% ±3.6	12.6% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	244 ±76	18.3% ±5.4	15.8% ±0.4	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	383 ±118	14.5% ±4.4	12.0% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	288 ±101	16.2% ±5.5	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Shelby County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Shelby County	Missouri	United States
Housing units	2,950 ±23	2,825,287 ±1,043	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	81.1% ±3.7	88.8% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	18.9% ±3.7	11.2% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	77.5% ±1.7	68.1% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	22.5% ±3.7	31.9% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$99,900 ±$13,404	$230,300 ±$880	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$625 ±$64	$1,033 ±$6	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1971 ±3	1978 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Shelby County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Hispanic or Latino	139 ±0	2.3% ±<0.1	5.2% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	5,605 ±30	93.6% ±0.5	76.3% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	65 ±30	1.1% ±0.5	10.9% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	21 ±9	0.4% ±0.2	2.1% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 5	0% to 0.1%	0.2% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 17	0% to 0.3%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 8	0% to 0.1%	0.4% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	151 ±50	2.5% ±0.8	4.8% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Shelby County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Missouri	United States
Born in the state	4,722 ±169	78.9% ±2.8	65.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	1,131 ±152	18.9% ±2.5	29.1% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	6 to 108	0.1% to 1.8%	0.8% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	29 to 123	0.5% to 2.1%	4.5% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	5 to 45	0.1% to 0.8%	2.3% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	3 to 99	0.1% to 1.7%	2.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Shelby County among the counties of Missouri

105th of 115 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Missouri page.

Counties of Missouri near Shelby County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Chariton County	7,377	−0.1%
Shannon County	7,285	+3.6%
Clark County	6,475	−2.8%
Gentry County	6,384	+4.2%
Reynolds County	5,992	−1.4%
Shelby County	5,870	−3.6%
Sullivan County	5,738	−4.1%
Carter County	5,418	+4.2%
Atchison County	5,175	−2.5%
Scotland County	4,796	+2.1%
Putnam County	4,546	−3.0%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026