| | Canton, NC | Shelby, NC | United States |
| Population | 4,373 | 21,564 | 329,725,481 |
| Female Population | 50.8% | 55.8% | 50.5% |
| Male Population | 49.2% | 44.2% | 49.5% |
| Median Age | 37 | 45.8 | 38.4 |
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| Population - 2010 | 4,199 | 20,314 | 309,327,143 |
| Population - 2000 | 4,029 | 19,477 | 285,036,114 |
| Population - 1990 | 3,790 | 14,669 | 251,960,433 |
| Pop. 2000 to Now | 8.4% | 3.4% | 15.6% |
| Pop. 1990 to Now | 15.3% | 37.3% | 30.8% |
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| Population Density | 1,175.2 | 966.5 | 93.4 |
| Land Area | 3.7 | 22.3 | 3,531,905.4 |
| Water Area | 0.0 | 0.0 | 264,836.8 |
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| Est. Total Population By Age | | | |
| | Canton, NC | Shelby, NC | United States |
| Age 0 to 4 | 7.3% | 4.1% | 5.9% |
| Age 5 to 9 | 4.7% | 5.1% | 6.1% |
| Age 10 to 14 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| Age 15 to 17 | 1.8% | 5.5% | 3.9% |
| Age 18 to 20 | 0.6% | 2.8% | 4.0% |
| Age 21 to 24 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Age 25 to 34 | 22.7% | 9.9% | 13.8% |
| Age 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 10.4% | 12.9% |
| Age 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 15.3% | 12.6% |
| Age 55 to 59 | 5.3% | 7.4% | 6.7% |
| Age 60 to 64 | 7.0% | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| Age 65 to 74 | 8.4% | 13.2% | 9.6% |
| Age 75 to 84 | 6.5% | 5.9% | 4.5% |
| Age 85 and over | 2.3% | 3.0% | 1.9% |
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| Race | | | |
| | Canton, NC | Shelby, NC | United States |
| White | 90.2% | 57.8% | 59.4% |
| Black | 1.4% | 31.7% | 12.2% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.9% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 1.8% | 5.2% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic | 5.7% | 4.2% | 18.4% |
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| Marriage & Family | | | |
| | Canton, NC | Shelby, NC | United States |
| Married Population | 41.5% | 42.9% | 49.8% |
| Currently Married | 33.1% | 37.7% | 48.0% |
| Married but Separated | 8.4% | 5.2% | 1.8% |
| Single Population | 58.5% | 57.1% | 50.2% |
| Never Married | 29.3% | 33.0% | 33.8% |
| Divorced | 16.9% | 15.3% | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 12.3% | 8.9% | 5.6% |
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| Household Size | 2.41 | 2.26 | 2.60 |
| Households | 1,803 | 9,487 | 124,010,992 |
| Family Households | 959 | 5,136 | 80,755,759 |
| Married couple, w/children | 27.3% | 15.7% | 30.5% |
| Married couple, no children | 34.3% | 42.9% | 42.9% |
| Non Family Households | 844 | 4,351 | 43,255,233 |
| Single householder, w/children | 21.4% | 28.3% | 15.8% |
| Single householder, no children | 17.0% | 13.1% | 10.8% |