Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tennessee Population Density Map and Area Scores
State 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 82% of states in the US
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 80% of states in the US
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C
Education Below averageLess educated than 80% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tennessee grew by 14.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,058,506 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tennessee is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.5% of residents. That is 0.7 points below the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,506,928 21.3% on par
- Millennials 29–44 1,519,426 21.5% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,430,488 20.3% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,221,953 17.3% +0.4 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 the US, 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 50.9% of the people living in Tennessee and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% the US 50.5%
- Men 49.1% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tennessee
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Tennessee has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tennessee is about 13% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tennessee is about 17.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,188 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tennessee spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Tennessee is about the same as in US.
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
Tennessee has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Tennessee has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Tennessee | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Tennessee Compared With Nearby States
Tennessee is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 7,058,506 residents against a local median of 5,083,438. The measure that sets Tennessee apart most is median home price: $255,786, 79% above the local median of $142,738.
The states themselves spread $138,969 on median home price, so Tennessee sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Tennessee has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | $69,901 #3/6 | $255,786 #2/6 | 22.4 min #5/6 |
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | $64,312 | $118,017 | 20.8 min |
| Alabama | 5,083,438 | $64,544 | $160,474 | 22.1 min |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | $71,967 | $142,738 | 21.1 min |
| Georgia | 10,939,918 | $77,523 | $256,986 | 23.6 min |
| Mississippi | 2,946,497 | $56,669 | $130,069 | 21.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tennessee.
What is the population of Tennessee?
About 7,058,506 people live in Tennessee, in 2,819,839 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Tennessee has 168 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Tennessee?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($255,786 against $69,901), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,188 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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