FredJStrain-store-1912, c. 1912
Shelby’s story
146 years in pictures
Census counts: 333 in 1890, 710 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 3 maps from 1899 on.
- 1880Shelby is settled
ShelbyNE
A town of 739, settled in 1880.
Population
739
2025 Census estimate · +2.9% since 2020
Typical home
$200K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
41.5
years
Jobs based here
217
A commuter town
Is Shelby a good place to live?
Of the 58 Nebraska towns we compare, none has a higher average trip to work than Shelby. Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
739 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Shelby: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shelby, and how to reach them.
PowerPolk County Rural Pub Pwr DistEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Shelby water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Shelby’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Nebraska you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person until 11 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePolk County ClerkPolk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code6866268662 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Shelby.
Work & commute
Shelby has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Shelby for work: only 6% work in town. 6.5% of Shelby residents live below the poverty line, where Nebraska’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Stromsburg (11%), Columbus (10%) and Omaha (8%).
6%work in town
| Shelby | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 34% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Shelby6%
Stromsburg11%
Columbus10%
Omaha8%
York7%
22 mi
median commute distance
217
jobs based in Shelby
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Shelby’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Shelby - Rising City Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby - Rising City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 201 | C |
| Shelby - Rising City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 112 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
A typical Shelby home is worth about $200K
The typical Shelby home is worth about $200,000, up 1.1% in a year, 28% below the Nebraska typical home. 86% of Shelby households own their home, above both Nebraska’s towns (67%) and U.S. towns (73%).
$200KZillow home value
Typical home value
Shelby$200K
Nebraska$278K
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Hail leads a high hazard risk in Shelby
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Shelby has four seasons and pleasant summers
Shelby has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 14° and about 30 inches of snow falls in a winter.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–36°
Spring39–62°
Summer63–84°
Fall41–64°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Shelby is
Shelby beats the Nebraska average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 73% of Shelby adults had a checkup this year.
| Shelby | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 76% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Nebraska
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Shelby | NE |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.6% | 12.4% |
Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center
6.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 347 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shelby City Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shelby
18pages on Shelby
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Shelby; the nearest are
York UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · York23.8 mi$23,000 tuitionUniversity of Nebraska-LincolnUniversity or college · Public · Lincoln45.9 mi$10,434 in-state tuitionSoutheast Community College AreaCommunity college · Public · Lincoln50.3 mi$3,690 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Shelby residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Shelby for work
Where Shelby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
217jobs based in Shelby
6%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Shelby
Village in Polk County, Nebraska, United States
Shelby is a village in Polk County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Shelby had a population of 710. Shelby lies along the north side of U.S. Highway 81 near the eastern edge of Polk County. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Osceola, and just 17 miles (27 km) south and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Columbus. Nebraska's center of population is near Shelby.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Questions about Shelby
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shelby, NE a good place to live?
Shelby has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Shelby, NE known for?
2 notable people were born here, including John R. Dunning and Arjay Miller.