Jobs, pay and daily life in Shelbyville, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Shelbyville is a city in Kentucky with 17,668 residents. The median household earns $75,610 a year and the median rent is $1,033 a month, which is 16.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 685,190 jobs.
How Shelbyville compares. Among the 80 largest places in Kentucky, Shelbyville is #25 by population, #74 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #24 for household income (#1 = highest), #46 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Shelby County, is #28 of 120 counties for average pay ($55,073).
Shelbyville has 17,668 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Kentucky. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,770 people per square mile. The median age is 34.8, 11% younger than the state median (34.8 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $1,033 a month (rent plus utilities), 7% above the state median ($1,033 against $967). Over a year that is 16.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $257,100, which is 3.4 times the median household income ($75,610); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 56.1% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (56.1% against 68.3%).
The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan area has 685,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,370 a year, 5% below the national median ($48,370 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (90,400 jobs, median $46,830); office and administrative support (85,080 jobs, median $45,920); production (60,110 jobs, median $48,440). The area is most specialised in production (1.6 times) and transportation and material moving (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($105,630) and computer and mathematical ($86,670). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Shelby County was 4.0%. 65.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Shelby County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 76.0% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 0.5% walk, 10.9% work from home. 16.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 34% above the state average (16.8% against 12.5%).
26.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (26.7% against 27.6%). 10.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 124% above the state share (10.4% against 4.7%). The poverty rate is 14.5%, 10% below the state rate (14.5% against 16.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 32°F (-0.0°C). About 1,269 mm (50 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (134 mm) and Jan the driest (84 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: La Grange (15 miles, rent 11% higher); Middletown (16 miles, rent 45% higher); Crestwood (16 miles, rent 15% higher); Jeffersontown (18 miles, rent 28% higher). Rent differences are against Shelbyville; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kentucky (287) →State guide: KentuckyCountry guideShelby CountyKentucky rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 287 federal postings open in Kentucky (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Kentucky →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 29,400 | 2.26 | $46,830 | $35,190 | $51,200 | +16% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 20,920 | 3.38 | $48,440 | $34,790 | $64,460 | +8% |
| Registered Nurses | 18,180 | 1.22 | $84,850 | $65,300 | $118,200 | -13% |
| Retail Salespersons | 17,540 | 1.02 | $30,660 | $23,210 | $45,510 | -13% |
| General and Operations Managers | 16,830 | 1.09 | $89,140 | $44,440 | $206,940 | -16% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 16,410 | 1.31 | $37,610 | $31,440 | $59,880 | +1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 15,540 | 0.92 | $28,690 | $22,670 | $35,470 | -8% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 13,630 | 1.19 | $41,600 | $31,350 | $61,240 | -7% |
| Cashiers | 12,630 | 0.93 | $30,560 | $23,250 | $36,060 | -7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 10,970 | 0.58 | $35,860 | $28,800 | $47,880 | +0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 10,820 | 1.19 | $59,000 | $44,970 | $87,580 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 10,480 | 0.96 | $41,290 | $23,320 | $59,660 | -8% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 10,220 | 1.02 | $30,180 | $17,070 | $63,500 | -14% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 9,220 | 0.95 | $35,000 | $28,620 | $49,230 | -5% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 7,910 | 1.87 | $44,430 | $35,560 | $53,450 | -3% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 7,730 | 1.28 | $47,990 | $30,360 | $69,850 | -5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 7,650 | 1.20 | $42,220 | $35,360 | $47,260 | -0% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 7,060 | 1.05 | $48,970 | $35,070 | $76,330 | -1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 6,470 | 1.02 | $67,450 | $44,830 | $102,140 | -3% |
| Light Truck Drivers | 6,340 | 1.46 | $47,150 | $28,330 | $82,050 | +5% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | 500 | 2.91 | $491,640 | $119,990 | $491,640 | +26% |
| Physicians, All Other | 1,100 | 0.73 | $335,670 | $138,590 | $513,680 | +26% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 710 | 3.10 | $222,520 | $211,800 | $310,480 | -6% |
| Chief Executives | 640 | 0.72 | $213,920 | $81,800 | $466,660 | -0% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,280 | 0.43 | $150,710 | $93,750 | $220,850 | -14% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 600 | 0.62 | $149,430 | $115,270 | $203,170 | -13% |
| Pharmacists | 1,830 | 1.29 | $143,920 | $97,700 | $173,620 | +2% |
| Sales Managers | 2,710 | 0.96 | $137,880 | $71,090 | $260,050 | -7% |
| Financial Managers | 2,670 | 0.72 | $136,970 | $88,620 | $230,840 | -18% |
| Marketing Managers | 920 | 0.53 | $136,350 | $79,830 | $211,130 | -18% |
| Managers, All Other | 790 | 0.29 | $134,710 | $62,140 | $209,310 | -5% |
| Lawyers | 2,000 | 0.60 | $124,530 | $65,310 | $211,880 | -22% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,580 | 1.11 | $122,900 | $104,090 | $159,860 | -7% |
| Human Resources Managers | 730 | 0.75 | $122,360 | $74,380 | $195,970 | -18% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 1,380 | 0.95 | $115,400 | $81,440 | $134,860 | +9% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 1,570 | 1.25 | $115,320 | $49,810 | $204,740 | +10% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 3,010 | 1.14 | $112,070 | $58,040 | $249,990 | -10% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 1,930 | 1.78 | $111,440 | $75,060 | $197,630 | -12% |
| Software Developers | 2,770 | 0.37 | $110,270 | $77,750 | $163,350 | -19% |
| Information Security Analysts | 650 | 0.77 | $106,760 | $60,750 | $160,100 | -17% |
These figures are for the whole Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,370 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.7% |
| Manufacturing | 20.0% |
| Retail trade | 15.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.1% |
| Construction | 6.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 5.7% |
| Other services | 3.3% |
| Public administration | 3.0% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Shelbyville lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 49,096 | $2,408 million | $49,048 | 16,556 | 1,594 | $55,073 | +2.5% | 4.0% | 25,613 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,531 | 25.1% | $66,862 | 2.60 |
| Retail trade | 2,482 | 17.6% | $34,108 | 1.50 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,488 | 10.6% | $22,410 | 0.99 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,358 | 9.6% | $59,343 | 0.57 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,119 | 7.9% | $50,659 | 1.15 |
| Construction | 817 | 5.8% | $63,980 | 0.94 |
| Wholesale trade | 708 | 5.0% | $87,552 | 1.09 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 660 | 4.7% | $48,562 | 1.32 |
| Professional and technical services | 481 | 3.4% | $89,474 | 0.42 |
| Finance and insurance | 360 | 2.6% | $74,105 | 0.54 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 212 | 1.5% | $158,774 | 0.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 181 | 1.3% | $43,255 | 1.35 |
| Utilities | 174 | 1.2% | $129,748 | 2.76 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 168 | 1.2% | $27,679 | 0.60 |
| Educational services | 127 | 0.9% | $34,512 | 0.37 |
| Real estate and rental | 112 | 0.8% | $56,913 | 0.44 |
| Information | 94 | 0.7% | $82,869 | 0.30 |
| Management of companies | 21 | 0.1% | $95,630 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 0.5% |
| Work from home | 10.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 16.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,610 |
| Income per person | $33,587 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,033 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.4% |
| Median home value | $257,100 |
| Homeowners | 56.1% |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 93.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,370 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 34.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.7% |
| Born abroad | 10.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 65.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.0 | 32 | 84 |
| Feb | 1.5 | 35 | 94 |
| Mar | 6.9 | 44 | 105 |
| Apr | 13.1 | 56 | 128 |
| May | 18.3 | 65 | 134 |
| Jun | 22.7 | 73 | 107 |
| Jul | 24.7 | 76 | 127 |
| Aug | 24.5 | 76 | 89 |
| Sep | 21.0 | 70 | 94 |
| Oct | 13.9 | 57 | 104 |
| Nov | 7.1 | 45 | 91 |
| Dec | 2.1 | 36 | 112 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grange | KY | 15 mi | 10,311 | $88,464 | $1,143 |
| Middletown | KY | 16 mi | 9,763 | $82,537 | $1,502 |
| Crestwood | KY | 16 mi | 6,356 | $108,046 | $1,188 |
| Jeffersontown | KY | 18 mi | 29,199 | $81,506 | $1,320 |
| Frankfort | KY | 20 mi | 28,503 | $53,073 | $944 |
| Lyndon | KY | 20 mi | 11,030 | $65,679 | $1,246 |
| Mount Washington | KY | 21 mi | 18,480 | $96,239 | $1,008 |
| Lawrenceburg | KY | 21 mi | 11,943 | $66,486 | $954 |
| St. Matthews | KY | 22 mi | 17,577 | $82,412 | $1,369 |
| Louisville | KY | 23 mi | 631,818 | $66,849 | $1,120 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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17,668 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,033 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.4% of the median household income.
$75,610 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Shelby County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kentucky. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.