Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Shelbyville gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $225K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Indianapolis metro’s $80K median household income. It grades B overall, 318th among Indiana's 585 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. 34% of working residents work locally in Shelbyville, above both the Indiana town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include John Hamilton House and Shelbyville Commercial Historic District. Shelbyville's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Shelbyville beats most towns.
John Hamilton House
Census counts: 446 in 1840, 20,067 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Shelbyville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shelbyville, 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 Shelbyville.
4.8 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Blue River Memorial Park, 163 acres with 3.9 miles of trail.
| Shelbyville | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue River Memorial Park | 3.9 mi | 163 |
| 2. Sunset Park | 0.5 mi | 17 |
| 3. Kennedy Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Shelbyville. Shelbyville beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 43% of adults have obesity in Shelbyville.
| Shelbyville | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Shelbyville | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 19.5% | 15.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Shelbyville has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 15 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Shelbyville’s working residents works in town. 22% of Shelbyville residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Indianapolis (20%), Columbus (3%) and Greensburg (3%).
| Shelbyville | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Shelbyville home is worth about $225,000, about the same as a year ago, 13% below the Indiana typical home.
| Shelbyville | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $995 a month | $946 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shelbyville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The violent crime rate in Shelbyville is 2.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Shelbyville | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.3 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Shelbyville; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Shelbyville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
9 places in Shelbyville on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Shelbyville.
City in Indiana, United States
Shelbyville is a city in Addison Township, Shelby County, in the U.S. state of Indiana and is the county seat. The population was 20,067 as of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Shelbyville.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville | #318 | B | A− | B− | B+ | C− |
| Addison Township | #290 | B | A− | — | B | C− |
| Marion Township | — | — | A | — | B | C− |
| Shelby Township | — | — | A− | — | B+ | C− |
| Brandywine Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C− |
Marion Township, Shelby Township and Brandywine Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Addison Township, Marion Township, Shelby Township and Brandywine Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Shelbyville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Shelbyville grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #318 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
18 notable people were born here, including Wilbur Shaw and Roger Slifer.
