Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Shelton’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Only 5 of Nebraska’s 133 towns score lower on hazard risk. Shelton has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Meisner Bank Building and Shelton Public Library. Shelton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Shelton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Meisner Bank BuildingIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nebraska), ordered by how far Shelton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 706 in 1890, 1,034 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shelton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Shelton.
Shelton’s FEMA risk score is 85 of 100, above both the Nebraska town median (55 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). One flood insurance claim has been paid in Shelton since 2019.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Shelton Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 159 | C− |
| Shelton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 117 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NE on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Shelton for work: only 3% work in town. Shelton’s average trip to work is 26 minutes, against 17 minutes in Nebraska’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Shelton fell to 132 in 2023, 48 fewer than in 2013.
| Shelton | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 34% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Shelton has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 14° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Shelton beats the Nebraska average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 21% of adults binge drink in Shelton.
| Shelton | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| What stands out | Shelton | NE |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.9% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 60.5% | 64.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Shelton home is worth about $245,000, up 5.6% in a year, 12% below the Nebraska typical home. 79% of Shelton households own their home.
| Shelton | Nebraska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 79% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,114 a month | $914 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Shelton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Shelton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Nebraska.
Where Shelton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Nebraska, US
Shelton is a village in Buffalo and Hall counties, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Shelton had a population of 1,034. It is located west of Grand Island along both the Union Pacific Railroad and U.S. Route 30. Nebraska Link 10-D connects Shelton with Interstate 80.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Jim Shanley and Paul Pruitt.