Shelby city, North Carolina demographics and economy

Census American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates for Shelby city, North Carolina.

Population
21,868
Median HH Income
$50,705
Median Home Value
$185,400
Median Age
41.2

Workforce

Unemployment rate
3.6%
352 unemployed of 9,798 in labor force
Bachelor's degree or higher
15.7%
of population age 25+ (15,126 total)
Below poverty line
18.2%
3,920 of 21,535 surveyed

Housing & cost of living

Median home value
$185,400
owner-occupied housing units
Median gross rent
$899/mo
renter-occupied units, all bedrooms

Related resources

Federal contracts in North Carolina
GovBids — SAM.gov opportunities and award data filtered by state.
New businesses in North Carolina
NewFilings — fresh business registrations from Secretary of State filings.
Federal & state grants
FindGrants — 60,000+ grant opportunities indexed and matchable.
North Carolina business markets by county
Establishments, employment, and payroll by NAICS sector.
Market size estimator
Estimate TAM/SAM/SOM for any NAICS code and geography.
Opportunity index
Composite score of growth, market size, and demographic signal.

Similar-sized North Carolina places

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates (Table B). Geography: place (incorporated city/town/CDP). Public domain (USA.gov).

Indicators: B01003 (population), B19013 (median household income), B25077 (median home value), B01002 (median age), B25064 (median gross rent), B23025 (labor force/unemployment), B15003 (educational attainment), B17001 (poverty).

Generated 2026-05-27. Census applies suppression rules to small populations; some values may be unavailable.