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Living in
Shelbyville.
About
Life in Shelbyville
This is a town where you'll actually afford your mortgage and still have money left over—median home values sit around $257,100 with a median household income of $75,610, making it genuinely accessible compared to most mid-sized Kentucky cities. The job market is shifting meaningfully: bourbon distilleries like Bulleit and Jeptha Creed provide steady work, but the real game-changer is the $712 million Canadian Solar battery manufacturing plant announced in late 2024, which will bring 1,572 high-tech jobs to the area—a transformative investment for Shelby County's future. Summers are hot and humid (that's subtropical climate country), and winters are typically mild, though locals remember the brutal January day in 1994 when temperatures plummeted to -37°F, so you'll want to be prepared for the occasional extreme swing.
Shelbyville at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
14.5%
Foreign-Born
10.4%
Broadband Internet
94.8%
of households
Population Growth
+6.6%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.4% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Shelbyville: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Shelbyville, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (38.6%), and 15.2% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
24.3%
of residents
65 and Older
13.2%
of residents
Households with Kids
36.8%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.1%
of households
Married Couples
49.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.61
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 7% above KY average
Rent, home values, and income in Shelbyville
In Shelbyville, rent runs 7% above the KY average, and home values are 25% above the KY average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
36.5%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
15.0%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
93.1
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,455
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
56.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1995
median year built
Vacant Homes
4.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $312,502 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.7 pts below KY average
Unemployment in Shelbyville
Unemployment in Shelby County, which includes Shelbyville, is 0.7 percentage points lower than the KY average.
Unemployment rate
Shelbyville: Shelby County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Shelby County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Shelbyville Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute26.9 min avg
How Shelbyville residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Shelbyville, most residents drive alone to work (76%), and 57% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 28 mi
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)
Small hub2.2M passengers boarded in 2025
- 65 mi
Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Medium hub4.4M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 83% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Shelbyville runs 83% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
54.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
768.1
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Shelbyville Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 7 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Low
61.9 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Shelby County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Shelby County, which includes Shelbyville, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 7 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2024 | 4 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2023 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2022 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2021 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10,000 |
| 2020 | 3 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 5 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2018 | 6 | Winter Storm | $15,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Shelby County, county-wide
Air Quality39 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Oldham County, KY (the nearest EPA-monitored county, about 18 miles from Shelbyville) is typically good — 214 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
39
Good Days
214
per year
Moderate Days
28
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Nearest EPA monitor county: Oldham County, KY (18 mi away)
Climate87°F summers, 22°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Shelbyville has warm summers (avg high 87°F) and cold winters (avg low 22°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
67°/39°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
87°/60°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
69°/40°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
45°/22°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
49.8"
Annual Snowfall
15.1"
Hot Days/Year
34
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
139
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
115
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 20°F | 4.15" |
| Feb | 47°F | 21°F | 3.78" |
| Mar | 57°F | 29°F | 4.65" |
| Apr | 68°F | 38°F | 4.03" |
| May | 77°F | 49°F | 5.17" |
| Jun | 85°F | 58°F | 5.24" |
| Jul | 88°F | 62°F | 4.10" |
| Aug | 87°F | 58°F | 3.69" |
| Sep | 81°F | 50°F | 3.45" |
| Oct | 69°F | 40°F | 3.51" |
| Nov | 57°F | 30°F | 3.52" |
| Dec | 46°F | 24°F | 4.53" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Shelbyville
Shelbyville has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
5.1%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Uofl Health - Shelbyville Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.1:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Shelbyville
Shelbyville's student/teacher ratio is 16.1:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 26.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
26.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.1:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Camp Nelson National Monument, 45 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Shelbyville
Shelbyville has 6 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Camp Nelson National Monument (45 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Camp Nelson National Monument
National Monument
45 mi awayAbraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
National Historical Park
49 mi awayWilliam Howard Taft National Historic Site
National Historic Site
74 mi awayMill Springs Battlefield National Monument
National Monument
83 mi awayMammoth Cave National Park
National Park
85 mi awayLincoln Boyhood National Memorial
National Memorial
96 mi awayPublic Libraries in Shelbyville
Shelby County Public Library
309 Eighth Street, Shelbyville
Cities Near Shelbyville
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Shelbyville?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Shelbyville FAQ
Is Shelbyville, Kentucky affordable?⌄
Shelbyville's median rent is $1,033/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $75,610/year. Median home value is $257,100.
Is Shelbyville, Kentucky safe?⌄
Shelbyville's violent crime rate was 55 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 768 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Shelbyville, Kentucky?⌄
Shelby County, which includes Shelbyville, has an unemployment rate of 3.9%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Shelbyville, Kentucky?⌄
The cost of living in Shelbyville is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,033/month and median household income is $75,610/year. The median home value is $257,100. About 37% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Shelbyville, Kentucky?⌄
The average commute in Shelbyville is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from