The Town Files

Shelby County, Iowa

11,778 people. The median home is worth $164,000 (typical Iowa town: $156,300) and the median household earns $72,738.

Towns in Shelby County

Towns in Shelby County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Harlan4,893$152,500$57,48844.6

People and housing

Shelby CountyTypical Iowa town
Median home value$164,000$156,300
Median rent$783$820
Median household income$72,738$69,254
Median age44.340.2
Bachelor's degree or higher24.1%21.8%
Below the poverty line7.6%9.3%

Jobs and pay

5,460 jobs in 2024, average pay $51,072 a year.

Largest industries in Shelby CountyTransportation & warehousing876 jobs · $59,885Manufacturing762 jobs · $62,542Retail454 jobs · $31,718Hotels & restaurants321 jobs · $14,737Finance & insurance244 jobs · $74,061Information181 jobs · $44,588
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Shelby County0%2%4%6%2000200420082012201620202023 2.4%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 427 storm events in Shelby County from 1996 to 2026.

Storm events in Shelby County by type since 1996Hail115Heat14Drought10Tornado16Blizzard13High Wind22Winter Storm46Excessive Heat10Winter Weather7Cold/Wind Chill35
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Shelby County has been included in 20 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 24, 2024Severe StormDR-4784: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
May 14, 2024TornadoDR-4779: Severe Storms And Tornadoes
March 23, 2020BiologicalDR-4483: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3480: Covid-19
March 23, 2019FloodDR-4421: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 5, 2014Severe StormDR-4187: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).