Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 727, platted in 1870.
No town among the 141 in Iowa we compare has a higher average trip to work than Shelby. Shelby has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Carstens Farmstead and Eckle Round Barn. Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Shelby beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 449 in 1880, 727 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1978 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shelby, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Shelby.
Most working residents leave Shelby for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Shelby fell to 749 in 2023, 142 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Harlan (22%), Omaha (11%) and Council Bluffs (9%).
| Shelby | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 7.1% | 31% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Shelby has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Shelby tracks Iowa closely on all 32 CDC measures. 21% of Shelby adults binge drink, above both Iowa’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (16%). 77% of Shelby adults had a checkup this year.
| Shelby | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Shelby home is worth about $238,000, up 1.8% in a year, close to the Iowa typical home. Shelby’s median rent is $840 a month, against $911 a month in Iowa’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. 63% of households own their home in Shelby.
| Shelby | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $840 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Shelby; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Shelby residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Where Shelby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Iowa, USA
Shelby is a city in Pottawattamie and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 727 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
