McNairy County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McNairy 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 86% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McNairy County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,970 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.04% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,939 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McNairy County grew by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,970 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McNairy County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 4.5 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,102 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,789 18.4% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,314 20.5% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,656 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 McNairy 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 McNairy County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
McNairy County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | McNairy County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,842 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.62% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McNairy County is about 23% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | McNairy County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $45,624 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $723 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McNairy County is about 5.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $723 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McNairy 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 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McNairy 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) | 189 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,844 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,799 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 414 | 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 McNairy 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
McNairy County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | McNairy County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 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
McNairy County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | McNairy County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.7 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.0% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.7% | 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).
McNairy County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
McNairy County, TN is typical in size for this group, 25,970 residents against a local median of 27,614, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets McNairy County, TN apart most is median home price: $45,624, 64% below the local median of $127,111.
The counties themselves spread $144,881 on median home price, so McNairy County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McNairy County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNairy County, TN | 25,970 | $53,842 #2/5 | $45,624 #4/5 | 22.6 min #3/5 |
| Alcorn County, MS | 34,289 | $51,100 | $88,076 | 17.5 min |
| Hardin County, TN | 27,249 | $49,937 | $32,500 | 18.8 min |
| Hardeman County, TN | 25,433 | $46,091 | $166,145 | 30.7 min |
| Henderson County, TN | 27,980 | $54,509 | $177,381 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McNairy County, Tennessee.
What is the population of McNairy County, Tennessee?
About 25,970 people live in McNairy County, Tennessee, in 9,939 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is McNairy County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, McNairy County, Tennessee has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in McNairy County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($45,624 against $53,842), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $723 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in McNairy County, Tennessee have a college degree?
11.0% of adults in McNairy 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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