Carter County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carter County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 74% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,703 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 163.2 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.00% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.5 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,425 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carter County declined by 3.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 56,703 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carter County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.2% of residents. That is 2.9 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,597 18.7% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,914 19.2% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,138 23.2% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,421 21.9% +4.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Carter County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.6% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Carter County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Carter County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,141 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.28% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carter County is about 28% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $144,997 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $739 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carter County is about 16.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $739 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carter County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.6 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,638 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,711 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,102 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Carter County is about the same as in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carter County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.0% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Carter County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Carter County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.4% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Carter County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Carter County, TN compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, TN | 56,703 | $50,141 #2/2 | $144,997 #2/2 | 21.8 min #2/2 |
| Sullivan County, TN | 160,624 | $59,119 | $215,151 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carter County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Carter County, Tennessee?
About 56,703 people live in Carter County, Tennessee, in 24,425 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Carter County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Carter County, Tennessee has 163 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Carter County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($144,997 against $50,141), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $739 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Carter County, Tennessee?
20.0% of adults in Carter County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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