Jackson County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 95% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 88% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,029 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.7 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.54% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.1 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,795 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,029 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.7% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,026 16.8% -4.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,224 18.5% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,855 23.7% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,826 23.5% +6.2 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 49.7% of the people living in Jackson County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 50.3% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,224 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.96% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 32% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $195,587 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $758 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.1% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 21.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $758 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 256 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.8 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.5 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 256 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,946 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,759 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 491 | 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 Jackson 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
Jackson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.3 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.7% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.3% | 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).
Jackson County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, TN is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 12,029 residents against a local median of 26,240. Jackson County, TN's median household income, at $47,224, runs 20% below the $58,838 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within $8,725 of each other on median household income, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Jackson County, TN, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Jackson County, TN has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, TN | 12,029 | $47,224 #4/4 | $195,587 #3/4 | 30.8 min #3/4 |
| Putnam County, TN | 82,558 | $58,838 | $218,410 | 17.3 min |
| Smith County, TN | 20,389 | $67,553 | $136,979 | 27.6 min |
| Macon County, TN | 26,240 | $58,828 | $282,916 | 31.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Jackson County, Tennessee?
About 12,029 people live in Jackson County, Tennessee, in 4,795 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 48.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Jackson County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, Tennessee has 38 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 44% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jackson County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($195,587 against $47,224), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $758 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Jackson County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Jackson County, Tennessee is 7.6%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Jackson County, Tennessee have a college degree?
13.0% of adults in Jackson County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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