Shelby County Demographics

A map of Shelby County's Population by Race

Shelby County, Missouri has an estimated population of 5,986, a slight decrease from the 6,103 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 93.6% White, 2.5% Multiracial, 2.3% Hispanic, 1.1% Black, 0.4% Asian, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Shelby County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Shelby has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Missouri overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Shelby County, that probability was 11.1% in 2020 and 12.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Shelby County is ranked the 105th most populous county in Missouri, out of 115 counties. Shelby County was ranked the 104th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Shelby County's White Population

5,605 residents of Shelby County, or 93.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Shelby County is significantly higher than in Missouri overall, where 76.3% of the population is White. Shelby County ranks 10th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.5%. White residents' share of Shelby County's population has decreased from 94.2% to 93.6%.

Shelby County is more White than neighboring Monroe County (91.6% White), Marion County (89% White), Lewis County (91.5% White), and Macon County (92% White). Shelby County is less White than neighboring Knox County (94.8% White).

Shelby County's Black Population

65 residents of Shelby County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Shelby County is lower than in Missouri overall, where 10.9% of the population is Black. Shelby County ranks 92nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Black population has grown by an estimated 225.0%. Black residents' share of Shelby County's population has increased from 0.3% to 1.1%.

Shelby County is more Black than neighboring Knox County (0.6% Black). Shelby County is less Black than neighboring Monroe County (3.5% Black), Marion County (4.2% Black), Lewis County (3.9% Black), and Macon County (1.8% Black).

Shelby County's Asian Population

21 residents of Shelby County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Shelby County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 2.1% of the population is Asian. Shelby County ranks 113th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 2000.0%. Asian residents' share of Shelby County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Shelby County is more Asian than neighboring Knox County (0.2% Asian). Shelby County is less Asian than neighboring Marion County (0.8% Asian), Lewis County (0.5% Asian), and Macon County (0.6% Asian).

Shelby County's Hispanic Population

139 residents of Shelby County, or 2.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Shelby County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 5.2% of the population is Hispanic. Shelby County ranks 73rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 18.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Shelby County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.3%.

Shelby County is more Hispanic than neighboring Monroe County (1.8% Hispanic), Knox County (0.3% Hispanic), Marion County (2% Hispanic), Lewis County (1.1% Hispanic), and Macon County (1.9% Hispanic).

Shelby County's Native American/Other Population

5 residents of Shelby County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Shelby County is comparable to the share in Missouri overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Shelby County ranks 87th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 82.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Shelby County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Shelby County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Monroe County (0.8% Native American/Other), Knox County (2.3% Native American/Other), Marion County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Macon County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Shelby County's Multiracial Population

151 residents of Shelby County, or 2.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Shelby County is slightly lower than in Missouri overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Shelby County ranks 100th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 115 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 19.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Shelby County's population has decreased from 3.1% to 2.5%.

Shelby County is more Multiracial than neighboring Monroe County (1.8% Multiracial), and Knox County (1.8% Multiracial). Shelby County is less Multiracial than neighboring Marion County (3.5% Multiracial), Lewis County (2.9% Multiracial), and Macon County (3.3% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.