Decatur County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Decatur 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,579 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.6 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.13% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.7 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,568 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Decatur County grew by 0.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,579 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Decatur County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,065 17.8% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,050 17.7% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,534 21.9% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,641 22.8% +5.5 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Decatur County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,279 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.35% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Decatur County is about 35% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $210,106 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $757 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Decatur County is about 23.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $757 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Decatur County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.4 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,605 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,226 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 328 | 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 Decatur 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
Decatur County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.2% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 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
Decatur County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Decatur County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.1% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.4% | 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).
Decatur County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Decatur County, TN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County, TN | 11,579 | $45,279 #3/3 | $210,106 #1/3 | 21.7 min #2/3 |
| Henderson County, TN | 27,980 | $54,509 | $177,381 | 23.4 min |
| Hardin County, TN | 27,249 | $49,937 | $32,500 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Decatur County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Decatur County, Tennessee?
About 11,579 people live in Decatur County, Tennessee, in 4,568 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 46.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Decatur County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Decatur County, Tennessee has 34 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Decatur County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($210,106 against $45,279), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $757 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Decatur County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Decatur County, Tennessee is 7.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Decatur County, Tennessee?
15.2% of adults in Decatur County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →