Shelby County Demographics

A map of Shelby County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	14,428	14,416	59.7%	60.0%
Hispanic	4,802	4,685	19.9%	19.5%
Black	3,649	3,805	15.1%	15.8%
Multiracial	896	639	3.7%	2.7%
Native American/Other	371	113	1.5%	0.5%
Asian	9	364	0.0%	1.5%

Shelby County, Texas has an estimated population of 24,155, a less than 1% change from the 24,022 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 59.7% White, 19.9% Hispanic, 15.1% Black, 3.7% Multiracial, 1.5% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. 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 is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Texas 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 57.6% in 2020 and 57.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Shelby County is ranked the 104th most populous county in Texas, out of 254 counties. Shelby County was ranked the 103rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Shelby County's White Population

14,428 residents of Shelby County, or 59.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Shelby County is significantly higher than in Texas overall, where 39.1% of the population is White. Shelby County ranks 119th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Shelby County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 59.7%.

Shelby County is more White than neighboring De Soto County (58.8% White), and Nacogdoches County (57.1% White). Shelby County is less White than neighboring San Augustine County (68.1% White), Panola County (71.1% White), and Sabine County (84.5% White).

Shelby County's Black Population

3,649 residents of Shelby County, or 15.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Shelby County is slightly higher than in Texas overall, where 11.9% of the population is Black. Shelby County ranks 26th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Black population has declined by an estimated 4.1%. Black residents' share of Shelby County's population has decreased from 15.8% to 15.1%.

Shelby County is more Black than neighboring Panola County (11.2% Black), and Sabine County (6.8% Black). Shelby County is less Black than neighboring San Augustine County (21.4% Black), De Soto County (34.4% Black), and Nacogdoches County (16.5% Black).

Shelby County's Asian Population

9 residents of Shelby County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Shelby County is lower than in Texas overall, where 5.5% of the population is Asian. Shelby County ranks 37th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 97.5%. Asian residents' share of Shelby County's population has decreased from 1.5% to 0.0%.

Shelby County is less Asian than neighboring Panola County (0.5% Asian), De Soto County (0.3% Asian), Nacogdoches County (0.9% Asian), and Sabine County (0.7% Asian).

Shelby County's Hispanic Population

4,802 residents of Shelby County, or 19.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Shelby County is significantly lower than in Texas overall, where 39.7% of the population is Hispanic. Shelby County ranks 184th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.5%. Hispanic residents' share of Shelby County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 19.9%.

Shelby County is more Hispanic than neighboring San Augustine County (8.3% Hispanic), Panola County (10.4% Hispanic), De Soto County (3.2% Hispanic), and Sabine County (1.6% Hispanic). Shelby County is less Hispanic than neighboring Nacogdoches County (21.6% Hispanic).

Shelby County's Native American/Other Population

371 residents of Shelby County, or 1.5% 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 Texas overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Shelby County ranks 198th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 228.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Shelby County's population has increased from 0.5% to 1.5%.

Shelby County is more Native American/Other than neighboring San Augustine County (0.4% Native American/Other), Panola County (0.5% Native American/Other), De Soto County (0.6% Native American/Other), Nacogdoches County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Sabine County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Shelby County's Multiracial Population

896 residents of Shelby County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Shelby County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 3.1% of the population is Multiracial. Shelby County ranks 145th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Shelby County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 40.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Shelby County's population has increased from 2.7% to 3.7%.

Shelby County is more Multiracial than neighboring San Augustine County (1.7% Multiracial), De Soto County (2.7% Multiracial), and Nacogdoches County (3.4% Multiracial). Shelby County is less Multiracial than neighboring Panola County (6.3% Multiracial), and Sabine County (5% 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.