Shelby County vs Union County
A side-by-side comparison of Shelby County and Union County: population, income, housing, and more.
Shelby County and Union County are counties in Iowa. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Union County has the higher population (12,038 vs 11,757 in Shelby County). Shelby County has the higher median household income ($67,690 vs $56,813 in Union County). Shelby County has the higher median home value ($156,200 vs $117,800 in Union County).
Population, income & housing
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,757 | 12,038 |
| Median age | 45.1 yrs | 40.6 yrs |
| Median household income | $67,690 | $56,813 |
| Median home value | $156,200 | $117,800 |
| Median gross rent | $810 | $683 |
| Housing units | 5,429 | 5,790 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 72.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.3% | 24.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.6% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,606 → 11,757 (+1.3%) | 12,358 → 12,038 (-2.6%) |
| Median household income | $58,000 → $67,690 (+16.7%) | $49,900 → $56,813 (+13.9%) |
| Median home value | $121,200 → $156,200 (+28.9%) | $104,000 → $117,800 (+13.3%) |
| Median gross rent | $643 → $810 (+26.0%) | $609 → $683 (+12.2%) |
Shelby County
11,60611,757
$58,000$67,690
$121,200$156,200
$643$810
Union County
12,35812,038
$49,900$56,813
$104,000$117,800
$609$683
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.5% | 5.1% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.3% | 18.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 8.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 10.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 13.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| 75 and over | 11.0% | 9.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.1% | 92.6% |
| Black or African American | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% | 3.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.7% | 7.0% |
| High school graduate | 36.6% | 34.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 35.3% | 34.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.0% | 17.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 7.3% | 6.8% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 77.3% | 78.7% |
| Carpooled | 5.0% | 11.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Walked | 5.3% | 5.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 11.5% | 3.7% |
| Other means | 0.7% | 0.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 88.5% | 76.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.9% | 1.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.8% | 7.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 0.6% | 4.7% |
| 20 or more units | 3.2% | 4.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.1% | 5.2% |
Poverty & households
| Shelby County | Union County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 12.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 2.32 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 18 | 15 |
| Median year structure built | 1946 | 1961 |
Full profiles
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