The Town FilesShelbina, Missouri
City in Shelby County · population 1,613 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $86,200
- Household income
- $47,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 21
- Median age
- 40.7
Shelbina is a city of 1,613 people in Shelby County, Missouri. The median home is worth $86,200, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). It ranks easier by car than 90% of Missouri towns.
How Shelbina ranks
Percentile among Missouri towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Missouri towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Shelbina is worth $86,200, below the typical Missouri town ($153,900). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $47,500, which is more affordable than 88% of Missouri towns. Median rent is $756 a month. 73.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Shelbina | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $86,200 | $153,900 |
| Median rent | $756 | $855 |
| Median household income | $47,500 | $56,368 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.8× | 2.7× |
| Homeownership | 73.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1968 | 1972 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.5% | — |
Who lives in Shelbina
| People | Shelbina | Typical Missouri town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.7 | 38.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.6% | 14.6% |
| Veterans | 6.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.9% | — |
| Work from home | 1.7% | 7.9% |
| Average commute | 17.3 min | 23.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 78.4% | 88.7% |
Weather in Shelbina
July highs average 86.6°F and January lows 17.1°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 15.9 inches of snow (typical Missouri town: 11.1 in). Expect about 28 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shelbina since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Missouri town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 23, 1975 about 5.1 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 2 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 30, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 24, 2023.
Severe weather in Shelby County since 1996
Shelby County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4929: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| September 21, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4741: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 26, 2020 | Biological | DR-4490: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3482: Covid-19 |
| July 9, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4451: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Shelby County
Shelby County had 1,781 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,151 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Shelbina itself the ACS puts it at 0.5%.
Public schools in Shelbina
3 public schools with 666 students, about 11.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH SHELBY ELEMENTARY | PK-5 | 295 | 11.8 |
| SOUTH SHELBY HIGH | 9-12 | 235 | 13.1 |
| SOUTH SHELBY MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6-8 | 136 | 10.5 |
Towns near Shelbina
- Shelbyville, MO7.9 mi · 518 people · home $85,200
- Clarence, MO12.2 mi · 738 people · home $74,100
- Paris, MO15.3 mi · 1,161 people · home $131,200
- Monroe City, MO16.6 mi · 2,652 people · home $159,300
- Madison, MO17.7 mi · 515 people · home $83,800
- Macon, MO23.2 mi · 5,457 people · home $151,800
- Perry, MO26.9 mi · 665 people · home $112,100
- Bevier, MO28.2 mi · 636 people · home $94,200
Shelbina questions
Is Shelbina, Missouri a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shelbina scores better for retirees than 52% of Missouri towns and quieter than 66%. 20.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.7).
How much does a house cost in Shelbina?
The median owner-occupied home in Shelbina is valued at $86,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,500, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $756 a month.
What is the weather like in Shelbina?
July highs average 86.6°F and January lows 17.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.1 inches of precipitation a year and 15.9 inches of snow.
Does Shelbina get tornadoes?
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shelbina since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 23, 1975. The typical Missouri town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)