City · Minnesota
Shelly, Minnesota
Shelly, city, in Norman County, Minnesota. Shelly had 177 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 179 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 229 (±54). GEOID 2759566.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
177
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 179 · ACS 2020-2024: 229 ±54
Median household income
$43,750
±$16,653 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$89,200
±$19,136 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$810
±$55 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Shelly and what county is it in?
Shelly is a city in Norman County, Minnesota. It covers 0.2 square miles of land, 848 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 Shelly, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 177 people lived in Shelly on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 179 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 229 (±54).
| Measure | Shelly | Norman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 229 ±54 | 6,367 | +96 |
| Households | 94 ±24 | 2,700 | +38 |
| Average household size | 2.44 ±0.54 | 2.31 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 129 ±33 | 3,223 | no clear change |
Shelly's population since 2000
From 266 in 2000 to 177 in 2025: down 33.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shelly 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 Shelly?
The median resident of Shelly is 36.1 years old; 28.4% are under 18 and 16.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 76.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.0%.
| Measure | Shelly | Norman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.1 ±14.0 | 43.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.4% ±9.5 pts | 23.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.6% ±6.0 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Male | 50.2% ±6.9 pts | 51.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.0% ±5.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.9% ±10.4 pts | 86.8% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.2% ±6.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 3.9% ±5.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 7.0% ±5.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±9.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.4% ±3.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.5% ±5.8 pts | 7.8% | – |
| With a disability | 14.0% ±6.2 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.2% ±3.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 86.5% ±9.1 pts | 93.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.6% ±9.2 pts | 22.8% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.7% ±2.4 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.6% ±3.5 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±1.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Shelly earn?
Half of Shelly's 94 households earn less than $43,750 a year (±$16,653), against $72,260 in Norman County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $66,919 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Shelly | Norman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,750 ±$16,653 | $72,260 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $67,678 ±$18,155 | $86,032 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,112 ±$6,202 | $37,402 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.6% ±9.7 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.9% ±8.2 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.8% ±12.8 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.6% ±4.5 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.4% ±6.5 pts | 88.3% | – |
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 Shelly?
Owners occupy 84.0% of Shelly's occupied homes and renters 16.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,200 by its owner (±$19,136). The median renter pays $810 a month including utilities, and 66.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Shelly | Norman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $89,200 ±$19,136 | $147,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $810 ±$55 | $774 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 66.7% ±43.5 pts | 30.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,198 ±$137 | $1,272 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.0% ±8.3 pts | 79.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 16.0% ±8.3 pts | 20.6% | – |
| Housing units | 129 ±33 | 3,223 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 44.4% ±38.3 pts | 15.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 80.6% ±12.1 pts | 85.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±15.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±2.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.9% ±14.8 pts | 30.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.4% ±6.4 pts | 5.1% | – |
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 many new homes is Shelly building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Shelly in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Shelly work and get to work?
87.5% of Shelly's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.4 minutes.
| Measure | Shelly | Norman County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.7% ±8.8 pts | 63.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.9% ±12.9 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.5% ±14.4 pts | 73.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 12.5% ±14.4 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±22.3 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±22.3 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±22.3 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.4 min ±5.3 | 23.2 min | no clear change |
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 Shelly?
No census tract lies mostly in Shelly; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9602Norman County | 1,663 | $75,735 |
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 Shelly) · Census block assignment files
How does Shelly compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shelly is the 16,857th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 671st-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Shelly 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 | 671st | 855 |
Shelly's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Shelly 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 Shelly?
24 of the 57 figures for Shelly 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 Shelly 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' public schools in Shelly.