DeKalb County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
DeKalb 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
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,959 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 63.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.13% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,652 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in DeKalb County grew by 12.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,959 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in DeKalb County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,924 18.7% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,225 20.2% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,472 21.3% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,206 20.1% +2.8 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 50.1% of the people living in DeKalb County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.9% Tennessee 49.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in DeKalb County
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Economy
DeKalb County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,540 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.80% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in DeKalb County is about 22% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $255,882 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $839 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.6% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in DeKalb County is about 25.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $839 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in DeKalb County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.2 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,840 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,348 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 537 | 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 DeKalb County is 23 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
DeKalb County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.7% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
DeKalb County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.1% | 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).
DeKalb County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
DeKalb County, TN is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 20,959 residents against a local median of 35,162. Where DeKalb County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 36% above the local median of $188,686 at $255,882.
The counties themselves spread $81,432 on median home price, so DeKalb County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeKalb County, TN has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, TN | 20,959 | $54,540 #5/5 | $255,882 #1/5 | 22.6 min #4/5 |
| Smith County, TN | 20,389 | $67,553 | $136,979 | 27.6 min |
| Warren County, TN | 42,165 | $55,751 | $214,873 | 20.3 min |
| Putnam County, TN | 82,558 | $58,838 | $218,410 | 17.3 min |
| White County, TN | 28,160 | $54,822 | $162,499 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DeKalb County, Tennessee.
What is the population of DeKalb County, Tennessee?
About 20,959 people live in DeKalb County, Tennessee, in 8,652 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is DeKalb County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, DeKalb County, Tennessee has 64 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in DeKalb County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($255,882 against $54,540), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $839 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in DeKalb County, Tennessee?
19.7% of adults in DeKalb 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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