How many people live in Shelby County, MO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 5,900 people living in Shelby County, MO. That makes Shelby County the 105th-most populous county in Missouri. It is home to 0.09% of people living in the state.
5.93K
population of Shelby County, MO (2024)
0.09%
County share of the Missouri population (2024)
About 5,900 people lived in Shelby County, MO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Shelby County, MO’s age demographics?
About 1,300 Shelby County, MO residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 22.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.8% of Missouri’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 1,400 Shelby County residents, or 24.2% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22% of Missouri’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Shelby County, MO's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Shelby County, MO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 93.7% of the Shelby County, MO population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Shelby County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.3%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 1.6% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Shelby County, MO has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Missouri as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Shelby County, MO is Shelbina with about 1,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Shelby County, MO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shelbina | 1,563 |
| 2. | Clarence | 724 |
| 3. | Shelbyville | 503 |
| 4. | Hunnewell | 135 |
| 5. | Bethel | 128 |
| 6. | Leonard | 54 |
| 7. | Balance of Shelby County | 2,819 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
