Lyon County vs Shelby County
A side-by-side comparison of Lyon County and Shelby County: population, income, housing, and more.
Lyon County and Shelby County are counties in Iowa. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Lyon County has the higher population (12,087 vs 11,757 in Shelby County). Lyon County has the higher median household income ($72,881 vs $67,690 in Shelby County). Lyon County has the higher median home value ($215,600 vs $156,200 in Shelby County).
Population, income & housing
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,087 | 11,757 |
| Median age | 38.1 yrs | 45.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $72,881 | $67,690 |
| Median home value | $215,600 | $156,200 |
| Median gross rent | $802 | $810 |
| Housing units | 4,857 | 5,429 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.3% | 75.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 23.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 3.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,776 → 12,087 (+2.6%) | 11,606 → 11,757 (+1.3%) |
| Median household income | $64,982 → $72,881 (+12.2%) | $58,000 → $67,690 (+16.7%) |
| Median home value | $146,900 → $215,600 (+46.8%) | $121,200 → $156,200 (+28.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $696 → $802 (+15.2%) | $643 → $810 (+26.0%) |
Lyon County
11,77612,087
$64,982$72,881
$146,900$215,600
$696$802
Shelby County
11,60611,757
$58,000$67,690
$121,200$156,200
$643$810
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.0% | 5.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 21.6% | 17.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 6.9% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 9.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 10.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 15.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 12.2% |
| 75 and over | 8.5% | 11.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.0% | 92.1% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.6% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.5% | 3.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| High school graduate | 40.9% | 36.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.8% | 35.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.8% | 16.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 3.9% | 7.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 78.8% | 77.3% |
| Carpooled | 7.8% | 5.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 2.8% | 5.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 10.0% | 11.5% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 89.7% | 88.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 2.0% | 4.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.6% | 0.6% |
| 20 or more units | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.4% | 2.1% |
Poverty & households
| Lyon County | Shelby County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.3% | 8.5% |
| Average household size | 2.68 | 2.32 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 20 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1965 | 1946 |
Full profiles
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