Shelby County, Tennessee Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Shelby County, Tennessee, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Shelby County, Tennessee. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Shelby County, Tennessee. The estimated population of Shelby County, Tennessee is 929,178 people, with a median age of 35.7.

We can look at the total population in Shelby County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
929,178
 -0.79% -0.92%
2020
936,611
+0.03%
-
2019
936,374
 -0.07% -
2018
937,005
 -0.09% -
2017
937,847
 - -

Population of Shelby County, Tennessee by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
34.9%
36.5%
 -4.38%
Black/African American
53.6%
53.2%
 +0.75%
Native
0.1%
0.1%
 0.00%
Hispanic
6.6%
6.1%
 +8.20%
Asian
2.8%
2.5%
 +12.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.8%
1.5%
 +20.00%
Other
0.3%
0.2%
 +50.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Shelby County, Tennessee by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 35.7 0% 34.2 +0.88% 37.2 -0.53%
2020 35.7 +0.28% 33.9 +0.3% 37.4 0%
2019 35.6 +0.56% 33.8 +0.3% 37.4 +0.54%
2018 35.4 +0.28% 33.7 +0.3% 37.2 +0.54%
2017 35.3 - 33.6 - 37 -

The median age of Shelby County, Tennessee gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 66,257 -2.21% 64,939 -2.92% 64,795 63,058
10 to 19 66,721 -1.77% 64,053 -0.82% 65,550 63,525
20 to 29 68,208 -5.51% 70,974 -3.67% 64,502 68,390
30 to 39 59,496 +0.34% 65,710 +0.65% 59,688 66,128
40 to 49 56,299 -3.28% 61,871 -3.53% 54,457 59,717
50 to 59 57,721 -7.92% 66,045 -9.62% 53,277 59,907
60 to 69 44,403 +6.35% 53,262 +8.4% 47,279 57,870
70+ 27,741 +18.54% 44,147 +8.15% 33,241 47,794

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Shelby County, Tennessee is $55,015.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Shelby County.

  • Under 25
    $29,747.00
  • 25 to 44
    $53,301.00
  • 45 to 64
    $67,163.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,781.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Shelby County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Shelby County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Shelby County, Tennessee is currently $83,841.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

7.40% of households in Shelby County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Shelby County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    23.10%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    22.73%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    17.13%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.02%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    13.02%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.60%
  • $200,000 or more
    7.40%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Shelby County is $33,287.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Shelby County by the total population of Shelby County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Shelby County, Tennessee, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Shelby County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    15.91%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.47%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    8.91%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    39.28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.43%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Shelby County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Shelby County over the age of 16 is 721,541.

Of those people, a total of 64.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Shelby County is 59.30%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 49,291 35.10% 23.50%
20 to 24 years 61,366 73.40% 17.30%
25 to 29 years 71,526 82.30% 8.80%
30 to 34 years 65,452 82.00% 7.60%
35 to 44 years 117,307 81.70% 5.70%
45 to 54 years 114,384 80.50% 4.50%
55 to 59 years 56,031 71.40% 5.00%
60 to 64 years 59,259 57.60% 4.50%
65 to 74 years 80,257 29.40% 4.60%
75 years and over 46,668 10.30% 4.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Shelby County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 286,950 64.00% 3.70%
Black or African American 380,804 64.30% 11.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1,134 55.60% 11.70%
Asian 20,643 69.20% 2.60%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 465 96.10% 10.80%
Other 14,848 68.90% 3.70%
Two or more races 16,697 68.50% 9.30%
Hispanic or Latino 36,695 70.90% 4.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 272,042 63.50% 3.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Shelby County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Shelby County is 427,711, with median earnings of $37,564.00.

Women in Shelby County, Tennessee earning approximately 81.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 427,711 $37,564.00
Male 213,630 $41,772.00
Female 214,081 $34,102.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 40,782 $75,504.00
Business and Financial 23,519 $62,626.00
Computer and Mathematical 11,229 $74,846.00
Architecture and Engineering 5,991 $75,471.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 3,634 $64,753.00
Community and Social Service 8,373 $40,071.00
Legal 4,233 $94,049.00
Educational and Library 25,503 $46,479.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 6,794 $38,520.00
Healthcare Practitioners 27,736 $63,148.00
Healthcare Support 12,269 $27,673.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 7,726 $35,551.00
Law Enforcement 4,903 $63,315.00
Food Preparation and Serving 23,023 $16,660.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 16,151 $21,701.00
Personal Care and Service 10,004 $18,665.00
Sales 38,293 $33,633.00
Office and Administrative Support 54,203 $34,161.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 744 $36,087.00
Construction and Extraction 15,940 $31,504.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 9,676 $42,668.00
Production 22,989 $33,433.00
Transportation and Material Moving 18,740 $40,589.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 22,970 $91,446.00 17,812 $62,566.00
Business and Financial 10,056 $74,085.00 13,463 $57,957.00
Computer and Mathematical 7,790 $77,292.00 3,439 $71,703.00
Architecture and Engineering 4,764 $82,395.00 1,227 $44,543.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 1,900 $71,534.00 1,734 $55,809.00
Community and Social Service 3,158 $36,724.00 5,215 $43,245.00
Legal 2,231 $122,708.00 2,002 $65,110.00
Educational and Library 6,503 $51,279.00 19,000 $44,858.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 3,707 $48,136.00 3,087 $30,441.00
Healthcare Practitioners 7,448 $89,387.00 20,288 $58,640.00
Healthcare Support 1,926 $30,653.00 10,343 $27,148.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 5,055 $39,658.00 2,671 $24,411.00
Law Enforcement 3,589 $67,664.00 1,314 $41,747.00
Food Preparation and Serving 10,632 $19,995.00 12,391 $14,519.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 9,577 $26,313.00 6,574 $16,225.00
Personal Care and Service 2,624 $23,808.00 7,380 $16,777.00
Sales 18,305 $49,663.00 19,988 $22,556.00
Office and Administrative Support 14,427 $37,564.00 39,776 $33,277.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 401 $39,861.00 343 $35,163.00
Construction and Extraction 15,279 $31,704.00 661 $25,052.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 8,926 $43,583.00 750 $40,088.00
Production 14,050 $39,554.00 8,939 $29,031.00
Transportation and Material Moving 15,423 $42,796.00 3,317 $31,351.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 354,736 households in Shelby County, with an average household size of 2.57 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 216,991 families in Shelby County with an average family size of 3.36 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 132,663 15,721 68,607 137,745
Average Household Size 3.29 3.45 3.72 1.21
Total Families 132,663 15,721 68,607 0
Average Household Size 3.28 3.09 3.59 0

Poverty

Of the 216,991 families in Shelby County, 13.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Shelby County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 400,662 housing units in Shelby County, Tennessee.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 354,736 88.54%
Vacant 45,926 11.46%

37.92% of the total 400,662 housing units in Shelby County are rental units. This is approximately 151,931 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 197,116 are occupied by the owner - or 49.20% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Shelby County is $1,014.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Shelby County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    5,689
  • Less than $500
    8,529
  • $500 to $999
    65,411
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    57,881
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    15,740
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    2,978
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    822
  • $3,000 or more
    570

Property Value

The median value of a property in Shelby County is $170,200.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Shelby County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    16,093
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    40,466
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    29,303
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    27,687
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    37,041
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    31,661
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    12,384
  • $1,000,000 or more
    2,481

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Shelby County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Shelby County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    23,696
  • 1940 to 1949
    26,787
  • 1950 to 1959
    60,996
  • 1960 to 1969
    46,446
  • 1970 to 1979
    67,854
  • 1980 to 1989
    54,135
  • 1990 to 1999
    56,665
  • 2000 to 2009
    43,505
  • 2010 to 2013
    20,264
  • 2014 or later
    314

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Shelby County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    29,419
  • 1 vehicle available
    137,730
  • 2 vehicles available
    123,836
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    63,751

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Shelby County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Shelby County that commute to work in a particular way.

22.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Shelby County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    6,604
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    30,844
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    49,249
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    67,952
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    86,948
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    34,901
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    69,496
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    10,883
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    11,664
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    16,960
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    6,485
  • 90 or more minutes
    4,138

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Shelby County, Tennessee in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Shelby County, Tennessee

We have data for 12 places in Shelby County, Tennessee. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.