Shelby is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, home to about 752 people across 1.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 51570.
Homes sold for a median of $144 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Shelby. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)28 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE37 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL401 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Shelby; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Shelby had 727 residents in the 2020 census, up 4% since 2000.
It’s the 368th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Shelby County grew from 17,932 residents in 1900 to 11,746 in 2020.
Shelby County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Harlan, IA weather station (10 miles away).
5,049 jobs at 384 businesses in Shelby County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.