Macon County, Tennessee Income Statistics
Macon County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Macon County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Macon County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $58,828 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $43,439 | $53,263 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.1% | 5.2% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.1% | 10.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.4% | 9.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Macon County is about 16% lower than in Tennessee. Income has been growing faster in Macon County (7.1%/yr) than in Tennessee (5.2%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Macon County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Tennessee average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Macon County, Tennessee grew by 82.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $58,828 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.1% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Macon County
| Metric | Macon County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.521 | 0.542 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $53,124 | $61,993 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $41,860 | $50,108 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 21.2% | 19.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Macon County, it is 0.521, lower than Tennessee's 0.542, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 27% more than women's income in Macon County, Tennessee. Over a 35-year career, a 27% wage gap accumulates to roughly $394,240 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Macon County, Tennessee has narrowed from about 23% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 25% in 2012, and was narrowest at 16% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,678 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Macon County | Tennessee Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.7% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 31 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 427 people are unemployed in Macon County, Tennessee.
The average commute time in Macon County is 31 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Macon County, Tennessee has fallen from 10.6% to 3.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 12.7% in 2013 and fell as low as 3.2% in 2019.
Macon County, TN Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Macon County, TN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,240 residents against a local median of 12,029. Macon County, TN's income growth, at 7.1%/yr, runs 35% above the 5.3%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 3.4% against a local median of 4.0%, 15% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Macon County, TN is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves sit within 1.1%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Macon County, TN, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Macon County, TN has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County, TN | 26,240 | $58,828 #4/6 | 7.1%/yr #1/6 | 3.4% #3/6 | 0.521 #4/6 |
| Trousdale County, TN | 11,957 | $67,567 | 4.5%/yr | 1.0% | 0.574 |
| Allen County, KY | 21,293 | $61,460 | 5.3%/yr | 6.9% | 0.496 |
| Smith County, TN | 20,389 | $67,553 | 5.5%/yr | 2.7% | 0.516 |
| Monroe County, KY | 11,269 | $52,443 | 5.7%/yr | 4.0% | 0.519 |
| Jackson County, TN | 12,029 | $47,224 | 5.0%/yr | 7.6% | 0.549 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Macon County, Tennessee has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it about on par with Tennessee, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Macon County, Tennessee.
How Rich Is Macon County, Tennessee?
Macon County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $58,828, about 16% lower than the Tennessee average of $69,901.
How has median household income changed in Macon County, Tennessee?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Macon County, Tennessee rose 83%, from $32,228 to $58,828. Over the same years, income here outpaced Tennessee as a whole: +83% against +63%.
What was the median household income in Macon County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Macon County, Tennessee was $56,112, up 10% from $50,971 in 2022. The Tennessee median that year was $67,483.
What was the median household income in Macon County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Macon County, Tennessee was $38,670. By 2024 it had risen 52% to $58,828.
Is unemployment high in Macon County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Macon County, Tennessee is only 3.4%, well below the Tennessee rate of 4.6%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What is the Gini coefficient in Macon County, Tennessee?
The Gini coefficient in Macon County is 0.521. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Macon County, Tennessee?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Macon County, Tennessee has narrowed from about 23% to 21% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 25% in 2012, and was narrowest at 16% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,678 since 2009.
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