Shelton is a village in Buffalo and Hall counties, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Shelton had a population of 1,034. It is located west of Grand Island along both the Union Pacific Railroad and U.S. Route 30. Nebraska Link 10-D connects Shelton with Interstate 80.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.
The downtown business district is situated near the banks of the Wood River and the historic Lincoln Highway (now U.S. Highway 30) passes through Shelton.
History
Shelton, evolving from Wood River Centre, is one of the older communities in Nebraska. The first European settler to live in the area was a Mormon by the name of Joseph Johnson in 1858. The "Huntsman's Echo", his publication, was the first newspaper west of Omaha
Prior to service by the railroad, The Great Western Stage Company established a stage station at Wood River Center in 1860 to serve its Fort Kearny route. The Union Pacific Railroad came to the area in 1866; with additional settlers, the need to establish government was realized. Patrick Walsh, Martin Slattery, and a Sergeant Cody petitioned the governor to organize Buffalo County in 1869. Shelton held the name of Wood River Center from 1860 to about 1873. By 1876, a new school district was organized; it was legally known as No. 19 in Buffalo County. A Carnegie Library building was funded on April 7, 1913.
In 1983, Shelton was featured in CBS's On The Road.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,059 people, 391 households, and 283 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 442 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 85.6% White, 0.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 12.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.4% of the population.
There were 391 households, of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.6% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.23.
The median age in the village was 34.7 years. 31.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census