Housing data for Shellsburg, IA
Shellsburg, IA has an estimated 868 residents and 419 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Benton County.
12.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $967 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 868 (±165)
- Housing units
- 419 (±83)
- Households that rent
- 12.7%
- Median gross rent
- $967
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −9.5%
What stands out in Shellsburg
Rental vacancy rate: 56.8% (±24.5 points) in Shellsburg, higher than in Benton County (6.9%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 16.7% (±11.3 points) in Shellsburg, higher than in Benton County (4.2%).
Median household income: $70,179 (±$10,877) in Shellsburg, lower than in Benton County ($86,962).
Median home value: $175,800 (±$12,082) in Shellsburg, lower than in Benton County ($208,200).
Housing in Shellsburg at a glance
- Median rent: $967 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 27.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 12.7% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $70,179 median household income
- Home values: $175,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,388 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,718 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 16.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 61.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 53.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 56.8% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 75.0% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 25.8 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −9.5% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 18.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Shellsburg against Benton County, its state and the nation
| Shellsburg | Benton County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 868 (±165) | 25,724 (exact) | 3,210,507 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 419 (±83) | 11,114 (±31) | 1,437,699 (±523) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 12.7% (±6.9 points) | 15.0% (±1.8 points) | 28.3% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $967 (±$156) | $826 (±$142) | $972 (±$6) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $70,179 (±$10,877) | $86,962 (±$3,238) | $75,059 (±$418) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $175,800 (±$12,082) | $208,200 (±$11,797) | $208,000 (±$1,141) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,718 (±$197) | $2,727 (±$102) | $2,897 (±$13) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 53.2% (±11.1 points) | 64.3% (±3.6 points) | 61.5% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 25.8 minutes (±2.4) | 24.9 minutes (±1.1) | 19.8 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.4% (±6.1 points) | 88.5% (±1.6 points) | 88.9% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 40.4 years (±10.0) | 43.1 years (±0.7) | 38.6 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Shellsburg covers 0.8 square miles of land, about 1,092 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Shellsburg has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 959 (±170) | 868 (±165) | −9.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 421 (±67) | 419 (±83) | −0.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $769 (±$454) | $967 (±$156) | +25.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $153,300 (±$23,440) | $175,800 (±$12,082) | +14.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $52,159 (±$25,031) | $70,179 (±$10,877) | +34.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,330 (±$119) | $1,388 (±$100) | +4.4% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,462 (±$273) | $2,718 (±$197) | +10.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 21.6% (±8.5 points) | 12.7% (±6.9 points) | −8.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.6% (±14.7 points) | 56.8% (±24.5 points) | +48.2 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Benton County
Shellsburg has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Benton County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Benton County recorded 136 violent and 311 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Shellsburg
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo | 4.2 mi | $717 | $282,400 | 2.5% |
| Atkins | 6.8 mi | $604 | $314,900 | 8.9% |
| Center Point | 7.8 mi | $798 | $212,400 | 22.0% |
| Newhall | 8.5 mi | $642 | $186,300 | 15.0% |
| Vinton | 9.3 mi | $942 | $152,300 | 20.1% |
| Urbana | 9.5 mi | $860 | $228,900 | 11.8% |
| Hiawatha | 9.6 mi | $855 | $216,900 | 33.2% |
| Robins | 10 mi | $956 | $413,400 | 7.5% |
Places in Iowa most like Shellsburg
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | $918 | $183,700 | $84,091 | 18.9% |
| Lone Tree | $963 | $179,800 | $90,625 | 16.1% |
| Luana | $800 | $152,700 | $76,750 | 14.2% |
| Lawton | $959 | $254,200 | $86,875 | 23.0% |
| Story City | $999 | $215,600 | $96,605 | 21.2% |
| DeWitt | $955 | $237,100 | $92,587 | 20.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Iowa.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Shellsburg, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $684 | $751 | $982 | $1,267 | $1,291 |
HUD income limits for Shellsburg, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,800 | $39,600 | $63,350 |
| 2 people | $27,200 | $45,250 | $72,400 |
| 3 people | $30,600 | $50,900 | $81,450 |
| 4 people | $33,950 | $56,550 | $90,500 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $61,100 | $97,750 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $65,600 | $105,000 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $70,150 | $112,250 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $74,650 | $119,500 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $113,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Shellsburg
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Shellsburg beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Shellsburg, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Shellsburg, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Shellsburg
What is the median household income in Shellsburg?
The median household income in Shellsburg is $70,179 (±$10,877) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Shellsburg, IA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $175,800 (±$12,082) for owner-occupied homes in Shellsburg (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Shellsburg?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Shellsburg, IA is $1,388 (±$100) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Shellsburg?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Shellsburg, IA is $2,718 (±$197) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Shellsburg?
Shellsburg, IA has an estimated 419 (±83) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Shellsburg?
The most common size is 3 bedrooms, 40.1% of homes in Shellsburg, IA.
Is Shellsburg growing?
In Shellsburg, the number of residents went from 959 in 2015–2019 to 868 in 2020–2024 (−9.5%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Shellsburg city, Iowa
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Benton County, IA HUD Metro FMR Area
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Shellsburg city, Iowa (place:72480, in state:19).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .