Shelby Iron Works
Shelby’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 567 in 1880, 940 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers and 4 maps from 1909 on.
- 1888Shelby is settled
ShelbyAL
Home to 809 people, the town was settled in 1888.
Population
809
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$319K
+2.7% in a year
Median age
58.2
years
Jobs based here
189
A commuter town
Is Shelby a good place to live?
Shelby’s midpoint age is 58.2 years, above both Alabama’s towns (39.2 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
809 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Shelby: who provides what
Shelby is unincorporated, so Shelby County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAlabama Power17.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers64% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesShelby CountyShelby County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereShelby County Circuit ClerkShelby County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2024
ZIP codes35143, 3505135143 90% · 35051 10%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Shelby.
Who lives here
Shelby is older than the Alabama average
20% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Alabama. People 65 and older are 36% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 12% of residents (22% statewide).
58.2median age · AL 39.3
ShelbyAlabamaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school56%
Some college11%
Associate’s4%
Bachelor’s12%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
37% women, 63% men
About 172 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.4 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Shelby | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.9% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.8% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 3.8% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.4% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.7% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 24.4% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.1% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 55.8% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.2% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.7% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Shelby’s kids attend
The Shelby County school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. 242 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 242 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Shelby has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Shelby’s FEMA hazard score is 89 of 100. Expected losses in Shelby break down as 73% from inland flooding and 17% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Shelby after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2021.
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Shelby are worth about $319K, by Zillow’s estimate
In Shelby, just over nine in ten households own their home. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.7% in value.
$319KZillow home value
Typical home value
Shelby$319K
Alabama$239K
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Shelby’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Birmingham (12%), Hoover (8%) and Alabaster (8%). Most working residents leave Shelby for work: only 3% work in town. The share of residents in Shelby who live below the poverty line: 21%. Half the trips to work are shorter than 23 miles.
3%work in town
| Shelby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Shelby3%
Birmingham12%
Hoover8%
Alabaster8%
Columbiana8%
23 mi
median commute distance
189
jobs based in Shelby
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–58°
Spring50–76°
Summer68–90°
Fall51–76°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Shelby is
Of 32 CDC measures, Shelby beats the Alabama average on 4 and trails it on 1. 13% of adults have diabetes in Shelby. In Shelby, 32% of adults feel lonely, and 34% have obesity.
| Shelby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 43% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Shelby | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.2% |
St. Vincent's Chilton
16.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up 0.1% of Shelby
3.8 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. In Shelby, the trail network density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
0.1%conserved
| Shelby | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
0.1%
conserved · 17 of 12,117 acres
3.8 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shelby Iron Works Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shelby
17pages on Shelby
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Shelby; the nearest are
University of MontevalloUniversity or college · Public · Montevallo16.2 mi$13,948 in-state tuitionLawson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Birmingham29.5 mi$5,040 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Shelby residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
A shrinking town
Shelby has shrunk 10% from 2010 to 2020
1,044 counted in 2010 and 940 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
About Shelby
Census-designated place in Alabama, United States
Shelby is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Shelby had a population of 940. The area is near Lay Lake and Waxahatchee Creek. Shelby Iron Park is located at the heart of the area. Two sites in Shelby, The Brick House and the Old Shelby Hotel, are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 495 ft
- ZIP code
- 35143
- Area code
- 205
Questions about Shelby
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shelby, AL a good place to live?
Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.