Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,788, established in 1853.
Shelby’s weakest subject grade is a D− for health. Shelby’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, above both the Mississippi town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town in Mississippi scores lower than Shelby on health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Shelby has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Shelby beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Shelby | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 29.9% | 11.2% |
Where Shelby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Shelby is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 645 in 1910, a peak of 2,926 in 2000, 2,021 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1939 on.
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.
44% of Shelby adults say their health is fair or poor, against 27% in Mississippi’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 21% of adults report frequent physical distress in Shelby. Among 102 Mississippi towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Shelby.
| Shelby | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 27% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 55% | 42% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 12% |
| What stands out | Shelby | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 8.4% | 13.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 7.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 29.9% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the North Bolivar Consolidated school district. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Northside High School, with 370 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 370 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
56% of Shelby residents live below the poverty line. Of the 100 Mississippi towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Shelby. 1.8% of Shelby working residents work locally.
| Shelby | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 56% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $26,000 | $50,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 19% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shelby.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Shelby has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Shelby is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (23% statewide). Shelby has lost 12% of its people since 2020, down to 1,788 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 25% across Mississippi.
| Shelby | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 22% | 25% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.6 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
61% women, 39% men
About 65 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Shelby | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.9% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.1% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
Shelby’s median rent is $666 a month.
| Shelby | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $666 a month | $905 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shelby Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Shelby
About 5 of every 100 Shelby residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Mississippi.
11 notable people were born in Shelby.
City in Mississippi, United States
Shelby is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Shelby had a population of 2,021. The town of Shelby was established in 1853 by Tom Shelby, who had purchased a block of land there from the federal government.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
The typical home is worth about $90,000, 54% below the Mississippi typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
Shelby was established in 1853. 11 notable people were born here, including Gerald Wilson and Erma Franklin.