City · Shelby County, Illinois

Shelbyville, Illinois

Shelbyville is a city in Shelby County, Illinois. It has 4,351 residents. Shelbyville, Illinois has a quality-of-life score of 49 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,031 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Illinois it ranks #342 of 697 cities and towns. It ranks best on property crime rate (low), average commute time (low) and public libraries (high). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), public EV charging ports (low) and access to exercise opportunities (low).

49Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,031 of 15,651 cities and towns
Illinois: #342 of 697 in IL
Population: 4,351 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 1,044.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 1769186

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety88#1,862/15,637
Economy25#11,655/15,631
Housing70#4,420/14,977
Health43#8,961/15,609
Healthcare10#14,105/15,650
Environment11#13,819/15,453
Education37#9,807/15,649
Infrastructure76#3,754/15,650
Community65#5,527/15,651
Leisure & amenities76#3,707/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Shelbyville, Illinois ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Shelby County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Property crime rate · low186 /100k
99/100Illinois 1,508 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureShelby County value
Average commute time · low10.3 min
98/100Illinois 27.8 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Public libraries · high2.4 /10k
94/100Illinois 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesShelby County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Illinois 6.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataShelby County value
Restaurants and bars · high13.6 /10k
92/100Illinois 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsShelby County value
Social associations · high14.1 /10k
87/100Illinois 9.8 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteShelby County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low7.1 /1k
2/100Illinois 14.9 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauShelby County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Illinois 4.8 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyShelby County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low43.2%
7/100Illinois 90.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteShelby County value
Primary care physicians · low24 /100k
7/100Illinois 82 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteShelby County value
Mental health providers · low63 /100k
8/100Illinois 355 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteShelby County value
Dentists · low29 /100k
10/100Illinois 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteShelby County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
68.4% (2015-2019) → 93.1% (2020-2024)
+25 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
3.4% (2015-2019) → 11.9% (2020-2024)
+8.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Average commute timeImproving
16.7 min (2015-2019) → 10.3 min (2020-2024)
−38%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
48.0% (2015-2019) → 41.0% (2020-2024)
−7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$40,764 (2015-2019) → $52,470 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeImproving
29.3% (2015-2019) → 24.3% (2020-2024)
−5 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Shelbyville, Illinois improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Broadband+25 points68.4% → 93.1%
Commute−6.4 min16.7 min → 10.3 min

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Shelbyville, Illinois between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	10.3 min2020-2024	−6.4 min	Improved	94%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.0%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	−4.7 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Broadband subscriptions	68.4%2015-2019	93.1%2020-2024	+25 points	Improved	95%
Effective property tax rate	2.03%2015-2019	1.66%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	82%
High school diploma or higher	89.8%2015-2019	93.4%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	64%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3852015-2019	0.4172020-2024	+0.032	Within the margin of error	26%
Median household income	$40,7642015-2019	$52,4702020-2024	+29%	Within the margin of error	53%
Poverty rate	13.0%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Rent as share of income	29.3%2015-2019	24.3%2020-2024	−5 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Rent-burdened households	48.0%2015-2019	41.0%2020-2024	−7 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	6.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Shelbyville, Illinois five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Shelbyville, Illinois in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Shelbyville, Illinois itself moved +8.9 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

4,351 residents (±314)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,979 households (±202)

Shelbyville, Illinois
Illinois share

Under $25k17%†341
$25k–50k31%†608
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,979 households (±202)

Shelbyville, Illinois
Illinois share

Own59%1,170
Rent41%809

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−11.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,222 workers (±271)

Shelbyville, Illinois
Illinois share

Drive alone88%1,951
Carpool1.4%†32
Public transit0.4%†9

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Shelby County, the county holding most of Shelbyville's residents.

Shelby County has 422 employer establishments, 205 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248; 0.80× Illinois's), with 4,312 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,879. The Census Bureau also counts 1,327 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 422; 1,327 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 205; US 248 · Illinois 255
Paid employees: 4,312
Average annual pay: $51,879; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Shelby County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	28	13.6	0.88×About typical	130	$47,931	109
Restaurants and other eating places	27	13.1	0.71×Fewer than typical	393	$15,799	7
Religious organizations	26	12.6	2.27×More than typical	142	$20,261	—
Ambulatory health care services	24	11.6	0.56×Fewer than typical	98	$55,867	44
Truck transportation	23	11.2	2.21×More than typical	58	$46,534	51
Full-service restaurants	16	7.8	1.01×About typical	134	$13,463	3
Banks and credit unions	15	7.3	2.25×More than typical	107	$49,533	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	14	6.8	1.35×More than typical	77	$43,584	20
Gasoline stations	14	6.8	2.10×More than typical	105	$23,305	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	13	6.3	1.44×More than typical	30	$44,733	18
Building equipment contractors	12	5.8	0.97×About typical	52	$46,423	18
Services to buildings and dwellings	12	5.8	0.86×About typical	40	$22,625	121

Rank places for an industry Open Shelby County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 20,604 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3,608 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Shelbyville, Illinois: $0.83 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3,608; −98% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.83; US $1,994
Sole-source: 82%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$3,608100%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

54.6KFY2017
130.9KFY2018
49.3KFY2019
46.1KFY2020
73.6KFY2021
636.1KFY2022
88.1KFY2023
502.9KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Waste collection · 5621$2,54471%
Support activities for crop production · 1151$2,25162%
Justice, public order, and safety activities · 9221$1,60244%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$1,37438%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$65318%
RV parks and recreational camps · 7212$636

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Shelbyville, Illinois, so they do not add up across cities.

Shelbyville, Illinois's figures are part of those of Shelby County, IL ($112.5K in FY2026), never added to them: 3.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Shelbyville is mostly in Shelby County.

See federal money in Shelby County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Shelbyville, Illinois is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mary E. MillerR-IL-15 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Shelby County69100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Shelby County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1769186

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends