Shelby County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,103. Its county seat is Shelbyville. The county was established on January 2, 1835, and named for Governor Isaac Shelby of Kentucky.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties Knox County (north) Lewis County (northeast) Marion County (east) Monroe County (south) Randolph County (southwest) Macon County (west)

Major highways

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

+Shelby County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)7,7216,8416,6286,2025,74998.66%98.55%97.48%97.32%94.20%Black or African American alone (NH)72556632200.92%0.79%0.97%0.50%0.33%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)618189200.08%0.26%0.26%0.14%0.33%Asian alone (NH)4371310.05%0.04%0.10%0.20%0.02%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census000xx0.00%0.00%0.00%Other race alone (NH)022090.00%0.03%0.03%0.00%0.15%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3546187xx0.51%0.72%3.06%Hispanic or Latino (any race)232343711170.29%0.33%0.63%1.11%1.92%Total7,8266,9426,7996,3736,103 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,103 and a median age of 42.4 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18, while 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.6 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.9% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,493 households in the county, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 2,950 housing units, of which 15.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.8% were owner-occupied and 26.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.8%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,799 people, 2,745 households, and 1,847 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 3,245 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.87% White, 0.97% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Approximately 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 30.4% were of American, 26.9% German, 14.9% English and 8.5% Irish ancestry.

There were 2,745 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 30.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,448, and the median income for a family was $35,944. Males had a median income of $25,759 versus $18,996 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,632. About 13.00% of families and 16.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools North Shelby School District – Shelbyville North Shelby Elementary School (K-06) North Shelby High School (07-12) Shelby County R-IV School District – Shelbina South Shelby Elementary School (K-05) South Shelby Middle School (06-08) South Shelby High School (09-12)

Private schools Shiloh Christian School – Shelbina (K-12) – Nondenominational Christian – Alternative School Heartland Christian Academy – Bethel (PK-12) – Nondenominational Christian

Public libraries Clarence Public Library Shelbina Carnegie Public Library

Politics

Local The Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Shelby County. Democrats hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

State + Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202482.64% 2,65615.68% 5041.68% 54202081.05% 2,69817.30% 5761.65% 55201666.12% 2,14332.00% 1,0371.88% 61201253.58% 1,72144.40% 1,4262.02% 65200863.15% 2,09435.86% 1,1890.99% 33200466.72% 2,31632.15% 1,1161.13% 39200051.50% 1,66847.76% 1,5470.74% 24199628.12% 85970.51% 2,1541.37% 42

Shelby County is a part of Missouri's 5th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is represented by Lindell F Shumake (R-Hannibal).

Shelby County is a part of Missouri's 18th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown).

Federal

Shelby County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 460, than any candidate from either party in Shelby County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities Cities

Clarence Hunnewell Shelbina Shelbyville (county seat)

Villages Bethel Leonard

Unincorporated communities

Burksville Cherry Box Elgin Emden Enterprise Epworth Hagers Grove Kellerville Kendall Kirby Lakeland Lakenan Lentner Maud Oakdale Sigsbee Walkersville

Notable people Edward McKendree Bounds – clergyman and author Norm Stewart, legendary University of Missouri basketball coach (from Shelbyville) Randall Duke Cunningham, only U.S. Navy fighter ace of the Vietnam War, former Republican U.S. Representative from California (raised in Shelbina) Frank Hamilton Short, conservationist and advocate for states' rights and private development of natural resources in the early 20th century (born in Shelby County in 1862) Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart

See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Shelby County, Missouri

References

Further reading General History Of Shelby County Missouri (1911) online

External links

. Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Shelby County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books