City profile · Mississippi · Census ACS 2023

Shelby, MS

Shelby's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,709
Residents
$27,728
Median income
$82,400
Median home
$924
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Shelby.

Place dossier plate

Sheet MS-SHELBY-MS · Shelby, MS 1,709 pop · income 2nd pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-LOW · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,709
  • INC-LOW $27,728
  • COL-BELOW 87.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 2nd
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Anmoore
  • HOME-LOW $82,400
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Anmoore, WV (+ $10 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Shelby

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Shelby on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Shelby on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,709.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $27,728. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Shelby - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Shelby places in the 2nd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

2nd
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
0th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Shelby, MS

1,709 people live in Shelby, Mississippi - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $27,728 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 45.2%. Typical homes in Shelby are valued around $82,400, and the median resident age is 42.1 years. 16.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 17.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits).

Living costs in Mississippi run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Mississippi scores 87.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $924 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $223 across Mississippi, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Shelby report an average commute of 36.0 minutes, with 87.4% driving alone and 0.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.9 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Shelby's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to comparison shortlist to schools and households to housing and income to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Shelby, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Shelby?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 36.0 minutes.

Compare commute patterns →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for Shelby?

Within Mississippi, the closest population matches are Shannon (1,719 residents, $42,208 income); Purvis (1,691 residents, $34,688 income); Itta Bena (1,735 residents, $32,898 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Chester, GA (1,708 residents); Heritage Lake, IL (1,708 residents); Hagerstown, IN (1,710 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 3

What does the education layer cover for Shelby?

The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 16.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

See how the family ranking is built →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in Shelby?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 45.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Population change

Is Shelby growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.

Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -224 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -11.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

Period change
-11.1%
2025 estimate
1,788
2020 estimate
2,012

Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.

See the national growth ranking →

Population

1,709 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$27,728 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 45.2% (Highest-decile poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

87.0 (US=100)

Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Mississippi average

City profile score · Shelby, MS

29/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living A+
87.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share F
16.0%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$27,728

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate F
45.2%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Shelby profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Poverty rate. Cost of livingBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomePoverty rate 29 F
Shelby profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 97/100 (A+) · 87.0 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 23/100 (F) · 16.0%
  • Household income: 0/100 (F) · $27,728
  • Poverty rate: 0/100 (F) · 45.2%

How does Shelby compare to other US cities?

Shelby measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 2% higher than other cities
Home value 4% pricier than other cities
Median rent 0% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Shelby against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Mississippi only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Mississippi-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Shelby near the bottom of Mississippi's cities

Among the 395 Mississippi cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Shelby ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Shelby only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#307 of 345
11th percentile in Mississippi
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 395
0th percentile in Mississippi
Median Home Value
#270 of 348
22nd percentile in Mississippi
Poverty Rate
#27 of 393
93rd percentile in Mississippi
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#208 of 394
46th percentile in Mississippi
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Mississippi only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

2ndIncome percentile
Gauge source note

2nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Shelby's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$82,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Shelby $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Shelby's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.0×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,536 of 15,516
More affordable than 58% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,555 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.0×, Shelby sits in the affordable band: national rank #6,536 of 15,516 and #5,555 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$27,728 Shelby, MS median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Shelby, MS Shelby, MS's median household income ($27,728) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Shelby, MS-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Shelby, MS median $27,728/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Shelby, MS median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Shelby, MS.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 16.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 45.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 17.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,709
Median Income
$27,728
Median Home Value
$82,400
Median Age
42.1
Poverty Rate
45.2%
Labor force participation
17.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.0%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,700 residents1,800 residents1,900 residents2,000 residents2,100 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,012 residents 1,788 residents ▼ -11.1%
Shelby's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 2,012 residents
2021 1,940 residents
2022 1,887 residents
2023 1,845 residents
2024 1,807 residents
2025 1,788 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 1
2024 0

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
36.0 minutes
Drive Alone
87.4%
Carpool
12.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%

Based on 254 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Mississippi statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Mississippi at $223 (electricity about $135 , water and sewer about $38 ).

These are Mississippi statewide averages, not a meter reading for Shelby. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Mississippi's BEA cost-of-living index is 87.0 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Shelby is $924/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Mississippi statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 50.9 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Mississippi statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Shelby sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Shelby compares to similar-size Mississippi cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Shelby (this city) 1,709 $27,728
Shannon 1,719 $42,208
Purvis 1,691 $34,688
Itta Bena 1,735 $32,898
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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