Shelby County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Shelby County is located in Texas with a total population of 24,108. It is the 104th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Shelby County is 40.0 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Shelby County is $50,436. This is 34% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 36% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 23.5%. This is 71% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 4.1%. This is 20% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $111,700. Housing costs are 57% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Shelby County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 75.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Shelby County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 60.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 19.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (60.0% vs 39.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (19.6%) is well below the state average of 39.5%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 58% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 82.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Shelby County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.