The Town FilesShelby, Nebraska
Village in Polk County · population 710 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $120,500
- Household income
- $72,955
- Jan low / Jul high
- 13° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 30 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 26
- Median age
- 41.5
Shelby is a village of 710 people in Polk County, Nebraska. The median home is worth $120,500, below the typical Nebraska town ($154,800). It ranks better for families than 89% of Nebraska towns, better transit than 72% of Nebraska towns, more of a college town than 71% of Nebraska towns.
How Shelby ranks
Percentile among Nebraska towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Nebraska towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Shelby is worth $120,500, below the typical Nebraska town ($154,800). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $72,955, which is more affordable than 87% of Nebraska towns. 85.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Shelby | Typical Nebraska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,500 | $154,800 |
| Median rent | — | $818 |
| Median household income | $72,955 | $66,320 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.7× | 2.2× |
| Homeownership | 85.5% | 73.2% |
| Median year built | 1957 | 1963 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Shelby
| People | Shelby | Typical Nebraska town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 | 39.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.3% | 20.8% |
| Under 18 | 22.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 22.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| Veterans | 12.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.8% | — |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.9% | 87.8% |
Weather in Shelby
July highs average 86.0°F and January lows 13.1°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 30.3 inches of snow (typical Nebraska town: 28.6 in). Expect about 23 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 144 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shelby since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Nebraska town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on May 5, 1964 about 0.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 14, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 87 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 12, 1956.
Severe weather in Polk County since 1996
Polk County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Winter Storm | DR-4868: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| August 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4808: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 27, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4662: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds |
| February 23, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4641: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| April 4, 2020 | Biological | DR-4521: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Polk County
Polk County had 1,438 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,530 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Shelby itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Shelby
3 public schools with 408 students, about 11.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHELBY - RISING CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | PK-5 | 202 | 10.6 |
| SHELBY - RISING CITY HIGH SCHOOL | 9-12 | 122 | 10.2 |
| SHELBY - RISING CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6-8 | 84 | 16.8 |
Towns near Shelby
- Osceola, NE6.5 mi · 875 people · home $148,400
- Stromsburg, NE10.1 mi · 1,143 people · home $159,900
- David City, NE16.1 mi · 2,995 people · home $165,200
- Columbus, NE17.1 mi · 24,028 people · home $213,600
- Utica, NE21.1 mi · 840 people · home $188,700
- Genoa, NE23.6 mi · 894 people · home $115,900
- York, NE24.1 mi · 8,066 people · home $180,900
- Schuyler, NE25.9 mi · 6,547 people · home $145,700
Shelby questions
Is Shelby, Nebraska a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shelby scores better for retirees than 45% of Nebraska towns and quieter than 49%. 21.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.5).
How much does a house cost in Shelby?
The median owner-occupied home in Shelby is valued at $120,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,955, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Shelby?
July highs average 86.0°F and January lows 13.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.8 inches of precipitation a year and 30.3 inches of snow.
Does Shelby get tornadoes?
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shelby since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on May 5, 1964. The typical Nebraska 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)