Houston County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Houston 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 76% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 83% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,353 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.4 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.18% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.9 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,353 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Houston County grew by 3.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,353 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Houston County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,640 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,554 18.6% -2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,835 22.0% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,696 20.3% +3.0 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 Houston 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 Houston County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Houston County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,495 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.87% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Houston County is about 15% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $198,749 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $735 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.0% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Houston County is about 22.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $735 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Houston County spend about 64 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 268 hours, about 11.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.2 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 64.4 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 268 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,317 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 533 | 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 Houston County is 32 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
Houston County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Houston County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Houston County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.5% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.5% | 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).
Houston County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Houston County, TN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, TN | 8,353 | $59,495 #3/3 | $198,749 #3/3 | 32.2 min #3/3 |
| Dickson County, TN | 55,983 | $75,004 | $284,444 | 31.8 min |
| Montgomery County, TN | 234,153 | $75,606 | $213,390 | 22.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Houston County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Houston County, Tennessee?
About 8,353 people live in Houston County, Tennessee, in 3,353 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Houston County, Tennessee mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Houston County, Tennessee has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Houston County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($198,749 against $59,495), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $735 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Houston County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Houston County, Tennessee is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Houston County, Tennessee?
11.0% of adults in Houston 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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