Township · Minnesota
Shell River Township, Minnesota
Shell River Township, township, in Wadena County, Minnesota. Shell River Township had 301 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 287 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 170 (±32). GEOID 2715959530.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
301
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 287 · ACS 2020-2024: 170 ±32
Median household income
$63,500
±$11,012 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$254,200
±$41,730 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
not published
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Shell River Township and what county is it in?
Shell River Township is a township in Wadena County, Minnesota. It covers 34.9 square miles of land, 8 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shell River Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 301 people lived in Shell River Township on July 1, 2025, up 4.5% since 2020, faster than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 287 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 170 (±32).
| Measure | Shell River Township | Wadena County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 170±32 | 14,256 | −124 |
| Households | 84±21 | 6,081 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.02±0.27 | 2.28 | −0.61 |
| Housing units | 165±33 | 7,021 | −50 |
Shell River Township's population since 2000
From 276 in 2000 to 301 in 2025: up 9.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shell River Township as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Shell River Township?
The median resident of Shell River Township is 55.5 years old; 11.8% are under 18 and 27.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.5%.
| Measure | Shell River Township | Wadena County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.5±6.8 | 40.0 | +16.9 |
| Under 18 years | 11.8%±4.6 pts | 26.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.6%±9.1 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Male | 52.4%±8.9 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.1%±5.0 pts | 86.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.5%±3.8 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.4%±3.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0%±12.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.8%±1.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.3%±4.2 pts | 8.0% | – |
| With a disability | 18.2%±8.5 pts | 15.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.9%±3.9 pts | 5.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.8%±5.4 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.2%±6.4 pts | 19.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.1%±3.0 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.3%±4.1 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2%±2.5 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Shell River Township earn?
Half of Shell River Township's 84 households earn less than $63,500 a year (±$11,012), against $61,467 in Wadena County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $72,303 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Shell River Township | Wadena County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,500±$11,012 | $61,467 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $83,051±$12,747 | $77,288 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,076±$6,208 | $32,541 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.7%±7.5 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 33.3%±34.9 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.6%±3.8 pts | 14.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.0%±7.3 pts | 92.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.9%±6.3 pts | 84.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Shell River Township?
Owners occupy 95.2% of Shell River Township's occupied homes and renters 4.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $254,200 by its owner (±$41,730).
| Measure | Shell River Township | Wadena County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $254,200±$41,730 | $173,000 | +$54,951 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 25.0%±70.6 pts | 26.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,604±$279 | $1,223 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 95.2%±5.4 pts | 73.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 4.8%±5.4 pts | 26.4% | – |
| Housing units | 165±33 | 7,021 | −50 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±24.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±100.0 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 93.3%±5.7 pts | 77.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 6.7%±5.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±12.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.9%±5.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.2%±7.6 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.2%±2.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Shell River Township work and get to work?
72.2% of Shell River Township's workers drive alone and 15.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.0 minutes.
| Measure | Shell River Township | Wadena County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.0%±8.3 pts | 62.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2%±5.6 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.2%±10.9 pts | 77.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.2%±7.2 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±21.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±21.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 15.6%±10.2 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.0 min±5.3 | 21.3 min | −12.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Shell River Township?
No census tract lies mostly in Shell River Township; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4801Wadena County | 3,439 | $66,442 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Shell River Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Shell River Township compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shell River Township is the 11,451st-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 840th-most populous of 1,772 in Minnesota.
Shell River Township is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 840th | 1,772 |
Shell River Township's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Shell River Township with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Shell River Township?
25 of the 56 figures for Shell River Township on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Shell River Township are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.