Shelby, NC Population

Overview

21,564

Total Population

45.8

Median age

55.81%

Female population %

79.2:100

Gender ratio (M:F)

50-54 years

Largest age group

61.1

Total dependency ratio

White

Largest racial group

897

Hispanic population

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Age

Shelby's population is old compared to the rest of the country:

The median age in Shelby is 45.8, compared to 38.8 nationwide, according to the American Community Survey 2017 - 2021 5 Year estimates.
Shelby's population under 18 was 21.42%, compared to the 22.51% nationwide.
Shelby's elderly or the senior population (over 65 age) was 22.03% as compared to 16.04% nationwide.
Of the total population in Shelby, 15.91% were under the age of 15, 16.89% aged 15 to 29, 45.17% aged 30 to 64, 19.05% aged 65 to 84, and 2.98% were 85 years of age and older.

There are 2,504 more females than males in Shelby:

The female percentage in the USA is 50.50% while the male percentage is 49.50%, compared to 55.81% females and 44.19% males in Shelby, NC.
The Shelby, NC gender ratio is 79.2:100 i.e. 79.2 men to 100 women (0.792).
For male population, the largest age group is 50-54 years with a population of 1,036.
For the female population, the largest age group is 50-54 years with a population of 1,040.

Shelby's population has become increasingly diverse:

Racial distribution of Shelby population: 59.88% are White, 31.68% are Black or African American, 0.06% are American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.87% are Asian, 0.51% are Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 1.60% are some other race and 5.40% are multiracial.
Shelby's racial breakdown clearly shows that there is an absolute majority of White population in the city.
By ethnicity, 897 is Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 20,667 (95.84% of the total population) is Non-Hispanic.
The largest racial group in Shelby is White with a population of 12,913 (59.88% of the total population).

Shelby's population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline:

The peak population was 21,952 in the year 2020
From 2000 to 2010, Shelby's population decreased by 483 (2.32%), as compared to the national growth of 9.63%.
From 2010 to 2020, Shelby's population increased by 1,638 (8.06%), according to Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program. For the same period, the rate of growth for the United States was 7.17%.
Between the year 2000 and 2022, Shelby's population was lowest in year 2019 at 20,015.