Putnam County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Putnam 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 averageHealthier than 85% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 86% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 82,558 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 205.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.27% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 33,601 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Putnam County grew by 18.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 82,558 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Putnam County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.8% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 22,142 26.8% +5.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,742 19.1% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,180 18.4% -1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 14,204 17.2% -0.1 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 50.5% of the people living in Putnam County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.5% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Putnam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Putnam County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,838 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.14% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Putnam County is about 16% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $218,410 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $908 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Putnam County is about 20.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $908 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Putnam County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.6 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,475 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,861 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 932 | 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 Putnam County is 17 minutes, shorter 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
Putnam County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Putnam County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.1% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.7% | 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).
Putnam County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Putnam County, TN is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 82,558 residents against a local median of 23,065. The measure that sets Putnam County, TN apart most is median home price: $218,410, 34% above the local median of $162,499.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.3 min against a local median of 22.6 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Putnam County, TN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $119,065 on median home price, so Putnam County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Putnam County, TN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, TN | 82,558 | $58,838 #1/4 | $218,410 #2/4 | 17.3 min #1/4 |
| White County, TN | 28,160 | $54,822 | $162,499 | 20.1 min |
| Overton County, TN | 23,065 | $48,710 | $136,818 | 22.7 min |
| DeKalb County, TN | 20,959 | $54,540 | $255,882 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Putnam County, Tennessee.
How big is Putnam County, Tennessee by population?
About 82,558 people live in Putnam County, Tennessee, in 33,601 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Putnam County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Putnam County, Tennessee has 205 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Putnam County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($218,410 against $58,838), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $908 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 Putnam County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Putnam County, Tennessee is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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