Cocke County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cocke 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 89% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 87% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,809 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 83.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.54% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.6 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,509 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cocke County grew by 4.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,809 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cocke County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.2 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,741 18.3% -3.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,833 18.6% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,281 22.5% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,129 22.1% +4.8 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 51.8% of the people living in Cocke County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 48.2% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cocke County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cocke County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,750 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.55% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cocke County is about 32% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $272,561 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $797 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cocke County is about 28.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $797 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cocke County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 262 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.4 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.8 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 262 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,118 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,753 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 782 | 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 Cocke County is 31 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes 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
Cocke County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.1% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Cocke County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Cocke County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.4% | 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).
Cocke County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Cocke County, TN is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 36,809 residents against a local median of 59,366. Cocke County, TN's median home price, at $272,561, runs 74% above the $157,083 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.4 min against a local median of 21.7 min, 45% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Cocke County, TN reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $345,929 on median home price, so Cocke County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cocke County, TN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocke County, TN | 36,809 | $47,750 #6/6 | $272,561 #2/6 | 31.4 min #6/6 |
| Hamblen County, TN | 65,669 | $55,786 | $105,027 | 18.1 min |
| Jefferson County, TN | 56,834 | $66,976 | $118,803 | 27.7 min |
| Greene County, TN | 71,628 | $56,389 | $157,083 | 21.7 min |
| Haywood County, NC | 59,366 | $63,952 | $268,060 | 20.7 min |
| Madison County, NC | 21,867 | $58,302 | $450,956 | 28.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cocke County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Cocke County, Tennessee?
About 36,809 people live in Cocke County, Tennessee, in 15,509 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
How densely populated is Cocke County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Cocke County, Tennessee has 83 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Cocke County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 5.7 times the median household income ($272,561 against $47,750), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $797 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Cocke County, Tennessee?
11.1% of adults in Cocke County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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