Fayette County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fayette 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 averageHealthier than 83% of counties in Tennessee
-
C
Income Below averageWealthier than 91% of counties in Tennessee
-
D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,762 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 61.9 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.43% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.8 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,388 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fayette County grew by 18.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,762 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fayette County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.1% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,594 17.4% -4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,372 19.1% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,548 24.1% +3.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,540 21.8% +4.5 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 50.6% of the people living in Fayette County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.4% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Fayette County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Fayette County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $87,617 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.86% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fayette County is about 25% higher than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $422,563 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $909 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.5% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fayette County is about 38.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $909 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fayette County spend about 66 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 276 hours, about 11.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 33.1 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 66.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 276 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,542 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,304 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 803 | 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 Fayette County is 33 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
Fayette County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.2% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 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
Fayette County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Fayette County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.0% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.1% | 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).
Fayette County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Fayette County, TN is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 43,762 residents against a local median of 33,979. The measure that sets Fayette County, TN apart most is median home price: $422,563, 138% above the local median of $177,591.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $87,617 against a local median of $53,460, 64% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 64% above the local median it puts Fayette County, TN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $167,258 on median home price, so Fayette County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Fayette County, TN has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, TN | 43,762 | $87,617 #1/4 | $422,563 #1/4 | 33.1 min #4/4 |
| Hardeman County, TN | 25,433 | $46,091 | $166,145 | 30.7 min |
| Marshall County, MS | 33,979 | $53,460 | $177,591 | 30.7 min |
| Tipton County, TN | 61,301 | $73,641 | $333,403 | 32.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fayette County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Fayette County, Tennessee?
About 43,762 people live in Fayette County, Tennessee, in 17,388 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 48.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Fayette County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Fayette County, Tennessee has 62 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 Fayette County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income ($422,563 against $87,617), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $909 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Fayette County, Tennessee have a college degree?
24.2% of adults in Fayette County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), 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 →