Shelby County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Shelby County, Illinois has a population of 20,720 across 759 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.10 bn in 2024, 422 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $3.1 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Shelby County
How many people live in Shelby County
- Population20,720
- Households8,918
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$72,095
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$814 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$137,100
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,001
- Population under 184,412
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over4,905
- Share 65 and over23.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,403
- Civilian labor force10,373
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.6 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties56th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1839th
Shelby County is the 56th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.7 percent against 21.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Shelby County
Is Shelby County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.08 percent
- Census 2020 base population20,978
- Births, 2024197
- Deaths, 2024283
- Natural change, 2024-86
- Net domestic migration, 202436
- Net international migration, 20241
- Total net migration, 202437
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-6
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2515th
The county has lost 2.08 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Shelby County
Where people moving to Shelby County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving445
- People arriving, from those returns802
- Adjusted gross income arriving$23.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,409
- Largest single originShelby County Non-migrants (8,293 households)
- Largest single destination (8,293 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County Non-migrants | 8,293 | 17,096 | $588.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 110 | 177 | $6.6 m |
| Macon County | 67 | 120 | $3.4 m |
| Christian County | 62 | 117 | $4.2 m |
| Effingham County | 61 | 113 | $2.4 m |
| Coles County | 47 | 80 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 40 | 78 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 40 | 78 | $2.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Shelby County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Shelby County
What the Shelby County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.10 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.08 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.0 percent
- GDP change over five years39.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties60th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1763rd
- GDP per resident$52,972
Output grew 2.0 percent in the latest year and 39.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Shelby County
Who employs people in Shelby County
- Covered employment, annual average4,848
- Establishments reporting468
- Average annual pay$48,311
- Average weekly wage$929
- Sector 31-33, employment1,102
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$66,441
- Sector 62, employment604
- Sector 62, average annual pay$40,030
- Sector 44-45, employment576
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,066
- Sector 72, employment340
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,113
- Sector 54, employment275
- Sector 23, employment197
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,102 | 15 | $66,441 |
| Sector 62 | 604 | 27 | $40,030 |
| Sector 44-45 | 576 | 59 | $32,066 |
| Sector 72 | 340 | 40 | $18,113 |
| Sector 54 | 275 | 23 | $73,718 |
| Sector 23 | 197 | 53 | $47,669 |
| Sector 42 | 183 | 24 | $69,305 |
| Sector 81 | 146 | 49 | $39,774 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,102 jobs, 22.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Shelby County
What businesses operate in Shelby County
- Establishments, all industries422
- Employment at those establishments4,312
- Annual payroll$223.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Shelby County
What is being built in Shelby County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$1.3 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$144,444
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Shelby County
How much SBA lending happens in Shelby County
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$445,029
- Median 7(a) approval$443,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$950,000
- Largest single approval$950,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)134
- Jobs per approval19.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer28.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals28.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (2)
- Most active lenderPeoples Bank & Trust (3)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$601,000
- Median 504 approval$1,090,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval19.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved31.6
- Most active CDCIllinois Business Financial Services (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.3 m
The average approval of $445,029 sits close to the median of $443,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 28.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Shelby County
Do SBA loans in Shelby County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Shelby County
Which parts of Shelby County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- SHELBYVILLE, approvals3
- Moweaqua, approvals2
- Windsor, approvals1
- Sigel, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SHELBYVILLE | 3 | $2,087,500 |
| Moweaqua | 2 | $665,200 |
| Windsor | 1 | $262,500 |
| Sigel | 1 | $100,000 |
SHELBYVILLE accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in Moweaqua. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Shelby County
How big is Shelby County
- Land area759 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties18th of 102
- Width, east to west35.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.56
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Shelby County
What hazards affect Shelby County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP0
- NFIP participation rate0.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Shelby County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Shelby County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population20,720
- Households8,918
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$72,095
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Shelby County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Shelby County, Illinois?
20,720, in 8,918 households, ranking 56th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Shelby County growing?
The population has fallen 2.08 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 197 births against 283 deaths, with net migration of 37. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Shelby County?
$72,095. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $137,100, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $814 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Shelby County?
422 establishments, employing 4,312 people with an annual payroll of $223.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Shelby County?
Average annual pay is $48,311, or $929 a week, across 4,848 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Shelby County?
7 7(a) approvals totalling $3.1 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $443,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Shelby County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Shelby County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Shelby County come from?
The largest single origin is Shelby County Non-migrants, with 8,293 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,409 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Shelby County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Shelby County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.