Village · Nebraska
Shelby, Nebraska
Shelby, village, in Polk County, Nebraska. Shelby had 739 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 710 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 684 (±176). GEOID 3144595.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
739
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 710 · ACS 2020-2024: 684 ±176
Median household income
$72,955
±$13,259 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $76,475
Median home value
$120,500
±$46,049 (90% margin)
Nebraska: $238,600
Median gross rent
not published
Nebraska: $1,072
Where is Shelby and what county is it in?
Shelby is a village in Polk County, Nebraska. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 1,317 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 Shelby, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 739 people lived in Shelby on July 1, 2025, up 2.9% since 2020, in line with Nebraska (+2.9%). The 2020 Census counted 710 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 684 (±176).
| Measure | Shelby | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 684 ±176 | 5,225 | no clear change |
| Households | 248 ±55 | 2,114 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.76 ±0.42 | 2.43 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 268 ±57 | 2,531 | no clear change |
Shelby's population since 2000
From 690 in 2000 to 739 in 2025: up 7.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shelby 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 Shelby?
The median resident of Shelby is 41.5 years old; 22.4% are under 18 and 21.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.8%.
| Measure | Shelby | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 ±12.5 | 43.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.4% ±5.5 pts | 22.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.3% ±7.6 pts | 23.2% | – |
| Male | 43.4% ±5.7 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.8% ±5.9 pts | 6.3% | −15.5 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.4% ±6.8 pts | 90.1% | +14.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±3.3 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±2.4 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.7% ±4.5 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.1% ±5.0 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 12.7% ±6.2 pts | 11.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.1% ±3.5 pts | 5.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.8% ±3.3 pts | 94.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.4% ±6.9 pts | 20.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.8% ±3.0 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.7% ±3.5 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±3.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
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 Shelby earn?
Half of Shelby's 248 households earn less than $72,955 a year (±$13,259), against $69,768 in Polk County and $76,475 in Nebraska. In 2015-2019 it was $90,422 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Shelby | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,955 ±$13,259 | $69,768 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,679 ±$17,071 | $90,242 | – |
| Per capita income | $35,866 ±$5,177 | $37,673 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.5% ±4.9 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.9% ±9.9 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.7% ±6.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.1% ±5.3 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.9% ±6.9 pts | 84.7% | – |
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 Shelby?
Owners occupy 85.5% of Shelby's occupied homes and renters 14.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $120,500 by its owner (±$46,049).
| Measure | Shelby | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $120,500 ±$46,049 | $189,900 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±48.3 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,354 ±$198 | $1,480 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 85.5% ±8.9 pts | 78.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 14.5% ±8.9 pts | 21.1% | – |
| Housing units | 268 ±57 | 2,531 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±11.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±41.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.4% ±7.4 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.6% ±2.6 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.2% ±2.9 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.7% ±8.0 pts | 36.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.6% ±4.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
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 Shelby building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Shelby in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 5.3 across Nebraska.
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 Shelby work and get to work?
71.9% of Shelby's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.2 minutes.
| Measure | Shelby | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.6% ±8.6 pts | 67.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% ±2.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 71.9% ±10.7 pts | 75.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 21.8% ±10.5 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.1% ±1.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.2% ±4.7 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.2 min ±6.2 | 20.8 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 Shelby?
No census tract lies mostly in Shelby; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9601Polk County | 3,225 | $67,500 |
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 Shelby) · Census block assignment files
How does Shelby compare with other places in Nebraska?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shelby is the 11,572nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 149th-most populous of 528 in Nebraska.
Shelby 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 | 149th | 528 |
Shelby's figures with every place in Nebraska (CSV)
Every place in Nebraska, sortable · Compare Shelby 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 Shelby?
25 of the 56 figures for Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby.